


Musuko

by Danyu



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Clan Politics, Endogamy, F/M, Illegitimacy, Next Generation, Past Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-05
Updated: 2015-08-05
Packaged: 2018-04-13 03:06:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 22,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4505310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Danyu/pseuds/Danyu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Hyuuga story. He was the next genius, master of the bloodline limit, and still, he was the bastard son of the clan's mistress. When a strange face from the past suddenly reappears, how much in life will change?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hisoka

A gentle breeze blew, warm and balmy with the first hints of the approaching summer, the rich scents of the season mixing with the sweet aroma of the blossoming lilac. He inhaled deeply from the rush of summer air, the swiftly moving current cooling his body, brushing back the hair falling in his eyes, causing his loose-fitting gi to billow in the wind.

_Breathe in, breathe out. Concentrate. Stay steady._

His eyes closed to the world around him, his body moved smoothly through the familiar workout, the complicated katas almost second nature to him now after over a decade of training. His movement never faltered, even as his breath grew ragged and his limbs weighed heavy with exhaustion, as the sweat generated from the exercises stung his eyes and coated his torso in a thin sheen. Finally, he completed the last move, and fell into a cool-down stance.

_Breathe out, breath in. Slow and steady. Concentrate, take it slow, and do not falter._

The words of the only person who had ever taken training him seriously resounded through his mind, staying there with firmer residence than the teachings given to him later, both by the academy teacher and the jounin sensei in charge of his genin squad. He only had the benefit of that man's teaching for barely two months, when he was little more than ten and a cocky genin new in his appointment, but still…still the lessons stuck with him in a way he could not explain.

Hyuuga Hisoka was a young man of just over fifteen years, tall and deceptively slender, with a powerfully muscled physique resulting from years of shinobi training. He sported the hereditary jade-white eyes of the Hyuuga, powerful in their ability to master the Byakugan, the special blood-limit ability of his clan, and the pale skin and dark hair typical to any member of the family.

The hair he wore shorter than many of his male kin, long enough to fall passed the nape of his neck but not yet at his shoulders, pulled back in a tight ponytail. There had been a time when he wore his hair long and loose, falling down his back, but a snide comment from a cousin about long hair being a sign of noble status among the family has him cutting his hair with familiar shame, and later pulling it back in defiance against tradition.

His was a strong, finely handsome face that many among the family gossiped as being eerily reflective of his grandsire, Hiashi, the former clan-head. And those more daring would even continue on to whisper of the same face worn by Hizashi, Hiashi's younger twin brother, and even Neji, Hizashi's son, both of them Branch family members.

Though Hisoka's mother, Hinata, had raised the divisions between the families after coming into power over five years before, the old discriminations died slowly, and the only members of the Branch family not bearing the curse seal were those born in the last five years. Hisoka himself had never been considered part of the Branch family, having been saved from being marked by his mother's defense against the wishes of Hiashi and the council, but he really had no real status either.

For the longest time, Hisoka had been a shadow among the Hyuuga, unacknowledged and unwanted, an illegitimate son. He was the bastard son born to Hyuuga Hinata when the young heiress was only fifteen, never acknowledged by a father, a shame and embarrassment to the clan and a black mark on the Hyuuga name that once nearly cost his mother her inheritance.

Hinata had stood her ground in defense of Hisoka, refusing to allow him to be marked by the curse seal or be acknowledged as anything else but her son. His mother, whose confident and strong composure was something the old aunts gossiped as being a complete turnaround from the timid nature of her youth, though he had never seen her as anything different, always amazed him in how firmly she fought against the centuries of restriction and discrimination that bound the Hyuuga.

She had never shown any amount of shame and embarrassment about the insults or blatant disapproval directed toward the two of them, only showing him the kind of love and acceptance he could never find in the clan. For this, he would always be grateful, and her strength was an inspiration to hold his head high despite the brand of bastard upon his name. And he struck out to not only make her proud of him, but the whole clan, waiting for the day to come when they would have no other choice but to acknowledge him for who he was, not just a Main House bastard.

When he was ten years old, his grandfather, Hiashi, a cold and distant man who treated his own daughters with the same indifference he did Hisoka, had suddenly caught ill and passed away. Hinata, then twenty-four, should have been allowed to step immediately into his role as head of the clan. However, a stipulation in Hiashi's will kept his daughter from coming into her full power until twenty-five, and the council used this to their advantage. When they tried to toss Hinata aside in favor of her younger sister, Hanabi refuted their plans by standing by her sister in a rare show of loyalty, and even their cousin, Neji, returned for a few months from long-standing mission to help Hinata settle things around her leadership, lent his support. Eventually, the council surrendered.

Hisoka smiled faintly as he rolled back his shoulders, walking down the path leading from the forest back to the Hyuuga estate. His memories were not always pleasant ones, but they could be amusing, and many even enjoyable. He shook his head at the strange twist his thoughts had taken as he approached the front gates, his brows knitting with puzzled interest as he spotted the servant standing there, anxiously wringing her hands together and obviously waiting for him.

"Midori-san," he said softly, his voice settled to a deep, rich timbre since pubescence, "Are you waiting for me?"

The girl looked up at him, flustered as her face colored and her voice shook. "H-hai, Hisoka-san. Your parents wish to see you as soon as you have cleaned up from your training."

The message well-received, Hisoka offered the girl a warm smile. "Arigatou, Midori-san. Thank you for taking the time to wait for me."

"It-it's no trouble, Hisoka-san. J-Just doing my duty."

"Well, still. I'm grateful."

She gave him a shy smile, her flush even more pronounced as she scurried off ahead of him at a speed that surprised him, disappearing into the house before he could ascend the stairs. "Strange girl," he mumbled, as he made his way into the house and through the corridors to his room.

Grateful he did not encounter anyone in the halls, he quickly changed from his training clothes into a light, informal yukata, pale gray in color, plain and unadorned. The way he dressed was not only a reflection of his status, but also one of his mother's lessons that managed to ingrain into his conscience. "Simplicity is true beauty," she has always told him, most often as he watched her work in her gardens, watching her cultivate the most simple of blossoms, later to have them bloom the most breathtaking of flowers.

He adjusted his dark blue obi, quickly rinsed his face in the basin of warm water left for him, looked himself over in the mirror, and then made his way down the corridors toward his parents' dayroom. He smiled to himself, still finding it strange that even in his mind, he included his stepfather of five years in his reference. But Aburame Shino had been, and still was, the only father Hisoka had ever known.

Hinata caused a great deal of scandals from her late teenage years and on into adulthood, first with Hisoka, and then with her open refusal to marry until she saw fit, despite the fact that many girls in noble families were long married and having children before eighteen or twenty. Hinata, however, turned down every offer and arrangement her father tried to make, concentrating instead on her young son and duties as a medic-nin.

By twenty-five, Hinata was free of the council's restrictions and she was able to take full control of the clan. The first thing she did was to break down centuries of tradition by breaking down the barriers between the Main and Branch families, and before the clan had recovered from that tidal wave of change, she shocked them once more by announcing her marriage arrangement to one Aburame Shino, a man seen not only as an outsider but the sole heir to another clan.

Shino was, first and foremost, the only son and heir to the Aburame family, but despite the controversy his marriage to Hinata caused, he welcomed it all with quiet, dignified acceptance. He was a strong, solemn man of few words, as were all Aburame, but to him was a gentle side he displayed to his family, most especially with the way he accepted Hisoka with open arms, and the way he loved Hinata with a soft, unwavering affection. He was an ideal father to Hisoka's half-brother, Akira, born ten months after their marriage.

Hisoka was shown into the room wordlessly by a servant, and he bowed his head respectfully as he copied the position of the kneeling figures before him. He accepted the cup of tea offered to him by his mother with a thankful smile, blowing on the steaming liquid as he studied them over the brim.

Hinata, only a few months younger than her husband, was just shy of her thirty-first birthday, yet hardly looked her age. A small statured woman, a quiet, dignified beauty with long falls of inky black hair and delicate features, dressed in a simple but elegant kimono whose rich rose shade brought out the pallor in her skin.

Shino knelt beside her, a comforting sight of familiarity with his habitual dark colors and stoic expression. Despite his youth, his dark hair showed the slightest hint of gray, an odd side-affect of shinobi living, and as always when in the presence of family, his face was absent of his usual sunglasses and collar, showing his black eyes to his stepson's gaze.

Hinata favored her son with a soft smile, "Good afternoon, Hisoka-kun. I hope the summon wasn't any kind of inconvenience?"

"Iie, not at all, Kaasan. I was just training."

"Aaa." His stepfather made the soft sound of acknowledgement. "You're readying yourself for the upcoming jounin examinations?"

"Hai, Shino-otou. I am."

Hinata frowned, gazing at her firstborn with a mixture of trepidation and concern. "Are you sure you're ready, Hisoka? You've only been a chuunin for a year. Isn't this too soon?"

Shino surprised him then as he laid a hand on his wife's arm in reassurance. "Hinata, don't you think you're worrying too much? If the boy thinks he can do it, then why not?"

"Hai, Shino. You're right. Gomen." She smiled at Hisoka once more. "It's just hard to accept that you're growing up, Hisoka. But then again, getting accepted as genin is as good as a coming of age, isn't it?" She sighed softly, reaching across the way to lay a hand against his cheek. "It is the way of the shinobi, boys becoming men so fast."

"Ano, Kaasan. The sooner I'm a man, the sooner I can make the clan proud."

"You're already made your clan and your family proud," Shino told him, "You're a Hyuuga genius, Hisoka. That's not to be taken lightly."

"Hai, Shino-otou." Hisoka smiled softly, pleased. His abilities were never something he took lightly, both in light of the power he had been born with and all that he had learned since his early youth. A natural-born genius, he had mastered all but the most difficult of the Byakugan techniques, learned the art of taijutsu, excelled in shinobi weaponry and chakra ability, not to mention his learning of dozens of powerful ninjutsus. He had been a prodigy from the start, and as Shino had told him, it was something he took seriously.

"Actually, Hisoka," Hinata continued, "The jounin exam is what we wished to discuss with you. It is still six months from now, and if you want to be ready in time, we thought it best if you trained with one of the Hyuuga jounin to further excel your bloodline abilities."

Shino nodded in agreement. "Out of all your abilities, Hisoka, your bloodline limit is the most raw. Perhaps that is our fault, since neither I nor your mother thought to have you trained outside of the academy, but from what I've seen of Hyuuga ability before in battle, there are a few techniques whose mastery will certainly give you an upper hand."

A sudden rapping at the door interrupted their conversation, and a servant stuck his head into the door, apologetic but insistent. "Hinata-sama, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I've just received word that Hyuuga Neji-sama has arrived. He's asking for a change to speak with you, my lady."

Hisoka's head jerked up, taking into the way his mother paled, even the way Shino straightened and betrayed the same shock etched into his mother's features. Hyuuga Neji, gone from Konoha on as an acting ambassador to the Land of Water for over a decade, with the exception of his brief return five years ago at Hiashi's death. What reason could he have for returning?

Muffled sounds from behind the doorway, and then the door slid open forcefully all the way, a face from the past appearing suddenly before them. Hyuuga Neji.

Shino stiffened, bristling protectively beside his wife as he laid a hand on her shoulder, Hinata herself long passed from a ghostly pale to an ashen gray, appearing to tremble slightly under her husband's touch. Puzzled by their reactions, Hisoka turned his head to stare curiously at the strange newcomer.

A single word passed through his mother's lips, breaking the tense silence between the four of them. "Neji…?"

xx


	2. Neji

"Neji…?"

Hinata's wary, questioning voice broke through the silence enveloping the room. Hyuuga Neji stood in the doorway, his arms outstretched to either side of the frame, and Hisoka found himself staring into a strong, forbidding face, a younger, more stoic version of what he remembered of his grandsire, framed by long, dark brown hair pulled back from piercing eyes by the hitai-ate proudly bearing the seal of the Leaf. Coldly handsome, intimidating in the black uniform swathed around his lithe form, Neji let his eyes roam over the room, showing little interest until they came to rest on Hinata's prone figure, lighting up with contemplations Hisoka wasn't sure he could understand.

He let his arms fall, stepping into the room with a fluid grace Hisoka could only describe as feline. He bowed respectfully, speaking softly in a smooth, cultured baritone, "My apologies for my interruption, Hinata-sama."

Hinata seemed to recover then from a majority of her shock, greeting the new arrival with a slight nod of acknowledgement and a tentative smile. "Not at all, Neji. You can understand our shock, however, in seeing you so suddenly."

Neji nodded, his expression betraying no hint of feeling abashed or even remotely awkward. "Again, I am sorry for my intrusion, and that I've come on such short notice. If it's not too much trouble, I would like to speak with you as soon as possible, Hinata-sama."

"Of course. Hisoka, Shino, would you mind leaving us?"

"Not at all," Shino said as he rose to his feet, his manner nonchalant though his eyes bore into Neji. He held out a hand to his stepson, who accepted his offer, letting himself be aided to his feet. Shino then firmly clamped a hand down on the younger man's shoulder, leading him toward the doorway. Hisoka continued to glance back curiously, especially as the two of them suddenly came face to face with Neji. The Hyuuga genius moved to clear the doorway, but Shino grabbed his arm suddenly, and Neji turned his head to meet the Aburame's stern gaze, facing him with a piercing stare of his own.

"Tread lightly, Hyuuga." Shino's voice was viciously soft.

Neji's face tightened with anger. "Are you threatening me?"

"Do you really think I would? It's just a warning, friend to friend. Hinata is as much my concern as she is yours."

Something in his stepfather's tone, which seemed absent of real anger and only filled with steel-like resolve, seemed to put Neji at ease as the other man nodded affirmatively and fully moved out of their way. The two of them left the room, Hisoka's head whirling with unanswered questions.

The room was silent once more as the two slid the door closed behind them, and Hinata glanced up at her visitor once more, finding her gaze returned with unabashed interest. She swallowed hard, motioning for him to kneel with her. He did so, taking the place vacated by her son. She offered him tea, and he accepted graciously, pleased to find the liquid cooled enough to drink without preamble.

"Ano," she articulated softly, a pause in her words punctuated from the drink she took from her own tea, "Neji-san…" She hesitated, unsure how to continue.

He smiled behind the rim of his cup, one of those tiny, almost indecipherable smiles of his, those that dropped like rain, fleeting and unexpected. "Neji-san? Didn't we push passed that years ago, Hinata-sama?"

"Ah, you're right, Neji. But only if you remember your end of the bargain as well."

"Of course…Hinata."

She smiled sheepishly. "Forgive my lapse. It has been a great many years."

He nodded, accepting the excuse with his habitual, nonplussed silence, understanding the undertones without having to speak outright, knowing that formality was something easy to hide behind.

"So then…Neji…what brings you back to Konoha so suddenly?"

"My mission is finally over. Hokage-sama summoned me home just recently."

"I see. But…Neji…five years…wasn't that five years too long?"

For a moment, he said nothing, sipping lightly at the tea, and then he sighed softly, staring down into the translucent liquid. "Iie. When Uzumaki…when Naruto took over from the Godaime, I was already stationed in Water Country. He needed me there even more than before to help cement his relations with the nation."

"Aaa," with that soft sound of affirmation, the Hyuuga leader said no more.

Together, they sat in a comfortable, if slightly strained, quiet, sipping from the tea, listening to the melodious sounds of the birds outside the window and the cadence of their own breathing. Neji's eyes continued to stray to her, taking in how more mature, how different she seemed. She truly was the clan's ideal matriarch, strong yet gentle, shrewd yet noble, wise yet fair, beautiful yet modest. He remembered seeing flashes of these traits in the girl who struggled to find her own place in a harsh and forbidding clan who did not wish for her existence, and to see those traits flourishing in this quietly confident woman made his heart swell.

"You've changed." He could not help giving voice to his thoughts.

"Have I?" She paused. "Is it a good change?"

"Hai. I'd like to say-that is, if I'm not crossing over the line-how proud I am, Hinata, of the woman you've become."

She stared at him, startled, and then a delicate blush painted her cheeks, a smile blossoming on her lips that held all the warmth for him as it did so long before. "Arigatou, Neji. You have no idea how much that means to me."

"I think I do." He remembered, vaguely, of times when she would tell him similar things that made him want to blush and smile and whoop for joy. Most of those times, he was nothing but a boy, and every little hint of approval or affection she gave him lit up his day. He smiled wryly at the sudden nostalgia of his thoughts, shaking his head as if to clear the cobwebs of the past.

"I...uh..." he cleared his throat audibly, "The Hokage has offered me a change to return to the ANBU."

"Really? That's quite an honor. You were only in the squad for a few months before you were called away, correct?"

"Hai." He flicked his eyes to hers, seemingly identical in first view, but hers had always been just a little different, somehow more expressive, more open, a lovely shade of jade white that put his cold, blank grayish pallor to shame. "What I wish to ask of you, Hinata, is that I wonder if there might be a place for me here anymore."

"A place…?" she trailed off quizzically.

"A place," he confirmed, "A place in the clan, here on the estate. I wonder if I am still welcome."

"Neji!" Her face softened, as she reached out and gently touched his hand, "Of course you have a place here! You always do! I can have a room set up for you immediately. This is always your home, please don't question that."

He smiled, cupping his hand over hers to squeeze it lightly. "Of course, Hinata. Gomen, for my doubts."

She returns the smile and shakes her head, gripping his hand in return. "It's fine, Neji. I just don't want you to ever think that you're not welcome here."

"Thank you," he said simply as he released her hand and straightened, his face falling into his habitual mask of nonchalance. She watched him for a few moments more, and then she looked away, feeling the subtle change in the atmosphere between them. The familiar sensations rolled over her, and she could almost taste them, see them, feel them, hanging in the hair with tangible presence, stirring, forbidding, nostalgic. She forced herself to look back at him.

"Speaking of places, Neji…"

Hinata watched the shift in his composure, and immediately she shook her head furiously, holding up her hand for silence even as he opened his mouth to speak. "No, Neji," she told him softly, her voice audible as a whisper, firm but gentle, insistent but tender, "You know I can't offer you that. Not anymore. That place belongs to another now."

"I know." His face betrayed no traitorous emotion, yet his voice grew so unbelievingly cold, his eyes full of feelings she could not bring herself to try and decipher.

"I know it's not fair, Neji. Even things could have gone differently-"

"I know," he said again, cutting off her trail of speech, "You don't have to explain yourself to me. We were all victims of manipulation and circumstance, Hinata. There is no reason for blame or explanation."

She sighed, bowing her head as if in exhaustion, falls of raven-black hair falling forward to shield her face. "The place I speak of, Neji, is an alternative to rejoin the ANBU squad. You know, better than anyone else, that I could never have any doubts about your skill, but the ANBU has always been for the most young and spry, and quite honestly, I hate the idea of you in that kind of danger. Perhaps it's merely selfish of me, but after all the time that you've been gone, I'd like to offer something that would keep you close to home and still in a rank worthy of jounin."

"And that would be?"

"Captain of my guard."

"Aaa." And again, he hid a small smile of astonishment behind his cup as he took a healthy swallow from the rapidly cooling tea. Captain of the Guard; to hold such a position was quite the honor, for as captain, he would be her personal protector, her right hand in ruling over the clan. He nodded solemnly, setting the cup down to do something he rarely had ever done: fully bowed before his lady in the utmost sign of respect for her power and authority.

"Thank you, Hinata-sama, thank you. I could never have asked for a greater honor." For if truth be told, he had not really wanted to rejoin the ANBU, for such an empty life with nothing but duty to look forward to seemed truly wearisome now in what he saw as his old age, at least by shinobi standards. Thirty-two was really nothing to blink at, but Hinata was right, he was nowhere near as young or spry as he once was, and ANBU be damned if he finally had a chance to serve her.

It had always been somewhat of an unvoiced dream among the Branch Family that if destiny deigned that they were fated to serve, then they wished to serve a clan head whom did not look down upon them, someone they could respect and admire, even love if the circumstances were right, who gave them the respect He had always wanted that, for he found it in her role years ago as her protector. He had given her his protection and his devotion, and she returned his sentiments with respect and affection, something others rarely thought to give in him.

Something in him craved to feel that again.

She shook her head, her face a-blaze with a vivid flush of mortification as she motioned for him to get up, tugging at his shirt helplessly as she begged him to stop embarrassing her. He grinned, and finally obliged if only to save her from further chagrin, though he could not resist teasingly tacked on a –sama to her name now and then as they spoke. Their conversation fell into more idle matters, how the Clan was functioning for both day-to-day and as a whole, tales from Hinata of her children's exploits, Neji's telling of his life back in the Water Country.

At one point he reached once more, folding his hand over hers as he kissed it gently, almost reverently. "Tadaima," he breathed quietly.

Her eyes softened with a tender light as she brushed her fingers against his forehead, almost unconsciously tracing the familiar shape of the Leaf symbol on his hitai-ate. "Okaeri," she whispered in response, "I missed you."

"And I you."

He was finally home.

xx


	3. Shino

"Shino-otou?"

Shino's feet paused in the middle of his trek down a corridor located in Hyuuga manor, and he glanced inquisitively over his shoulder at the young man standing behind him. "Hai, Hisoka?"

"Could I ask you something?"

"Of course, Hisoka. You know that." Hisoka's nervousness ebbed some at the older man's gentle tone, and he smiled softly at his stepfather.

"I was wondering…if you could tell me about Neji-san. I have to admit, seeing your and Kaasan's reactions to him, I'm rather curious."

His glasses replaced now that they moved through the more public hallways, Shino's habitual stoicism made it nearly impossible for his stepson to read him and as the Aburame stared silently at him for several moments, Hisoka squirmed uncertainly, unsure if he had angered or offended the older man.

And then, Shino turned on his heel, walking in the opposite direction from which they had been going. "Come with me, Hisoka."

Blinking confusedly, Hisoka scrambled after him, struggling to keep up with the long, powerful strides Shino set in his haste. Eventually, he led the boy outdoors, passing through a set of elaborately designed doors leading out from the wing where the clan head's family traditionally housed, taking the two of them into a small side garden surrounded by ivy-covered walls. The air was warm and saturated with the fragrant scents of the herbs and flowers growing in clutches throughout the cultivated plots. Hisoka recognized it instantly. His mother's private garden.

"Is it alright to be out here, Shino-otou? Kaasan won't mind?"

"She won't mind, Hisoka. She's always encouraging you children to make use of this space. How much she treasures it, I think, makes it an appropriate location to have this conversation."

Hisoka regarded him quizzically as he sat down Indian-style on the grass beside the bench Shino sat upon. "Nani? What does Kaasan's garden have to do with Neji-san?"

Shino sighed softly, slipping off his glasses once more, his dark eyes full of a tender emotion, a sort of nostalgia as they scanned over his surroundings. "I remember this garden well," he began quietly, "Your mother used to invite us here all the time when we were younger."

"Who is 'us'?"

"Kiba and I."

"Kiba-ojichan?" Inuzuka Kiba was, like his teammates, a powerful shinobi and prodigy of his generation. Hisoka was rather fond of him, Kiba being his favorite from among the honorary uncles he acquired as a fatherless boy, though more importantly, as his mother's son. It often amazed him how affectionate and familiar many of the prominent jounin or clan heads were with his mother, all of them bonded together by experiences he could not even begin to fathom.

"Hai. Hinata used to make us lunch and show off her newest blossoms," his lips curled into a slight smile, "She was always a very skilled cook, and so proud of these gardens. Kiba and I both adored her, Hisoka. It is because of that closeness that I can tell you about Neji."

Shino combed his fingers through lank black hair, raising his eyes to watch the birds among the branches of a nearby tree. "Tell me, do you know who Neji is, to the family I mean?"

"Hai." Hisoka straightened, squaring his shoulders in a position ingrained from his academy days, as he began to recite what he knew of Hyuuga Neji, learned from the talk that spread as gossip throughout all clan. "He is a cousin of Kaasan and Hanabi-obaasan, the son of Hiashi-sama's brother, Hizashi-san."

Shino held up his hand suddenly, interrupting his speech as he interjected, "Hisoka, did you always refer to your grandfather as 'Hiashi-sama' ?"

Hisoka flushed, his eyes straying to the ground as he nodded, wondering what he had done wrong. "Hiashi-sama always told me to refer to him that way."

"Never Jii-chan or even Ojiisan?" Shino's eyes were unreadable, unnerving his stepson to no end.

"Iie. He said to refer to him as such would be disrespectful."

Shino's face contorted into an ugly snarl, shocking the other as dark eyes changed in a split second from blank indifference to a cold rage. "Your grandsire always was a harsh man. Hisoka, you never deserved that kind of treatment, especially from your own blood kin."

Hisoka was strangely quiet, his expression distantly contemplative. "I know, Shino-otou," he said at last, "I was alright…Kaasan and the others, Naruto-ojichan, Kiba-ojichan, Lee-sensei, even you, Shino-otou, always made me feel…wanted…as if for once I wasn't just a disgrace…"

"Hisoka…" He sighed, resting a head against his stepson's head. "I wish there was more I had done for you then. If I had known then what you were going through…"

Hisoka smiled softly, though sadly, reaching upward to reassuringly brush his hand against Shino's. "Kaasan said something like that once. She was angry with me for not telling her about the older children teasing me, and the adults ostracizing me."

Shino's eyes darkened. "She's right, you should have told her. Or any one of us, we would have listened."

"I know, Shino-otou, and gomen, but I wish you and Kaasan would stop taking this unto yourselves. It wasn't your fault. If I don't feel ashamed then neither should you."

"Never ashamed, Hisoka, just regretful." Shino smiled, a faint, subtle curving of his mouth. "You are a rare person, Hyuuga Hisoka. You make your mother and I very proud."

Watching as Hisoka colored and shyly averted his eyes, reminding him so well of a certain Hyuuga heiress. Hisoka was so remarkably his mother's son, it still astonished him from day to day to see the same traits rising anew in the young chuunin. He chuckled softly, and then continued then, "Well then, I was telling you of Neji, wasn't I? You know of his relation to your family, but anything else?"

Hisoka hesitated for a moment, and then responded, "Hai. He was the Hyuuga genius of his generation, that is, your and Kaasan's as well. His mastery of the bloodline limit was legendary."

"You're right. Neji was always very skilled. Did you know, Hisoka, what it was he used those skills for? That it was he that who trained your mother to use the Jyuuken, and rise to jounin? Or that he was her protector?"

Hisoka's eyes widened, and he shook his head. "No, I had no idea."

Shino nodded. "I didn't think so. It was because of that situation that Neji and your mother were particularly close, and nearly as long as I've been in his association, he has been extremely protective of Hinata. I think you can understand, though, that as he grew older, his power did as well. Your mother told me that was why the council of elders began to fear him. It was their manipulations that caused him to be sent away, not just the first time, but also the second."

Hisoka was quiet for a moment, finally nodding thoughtfully as his expression grew distant, gazing up into the sky. "I thought it had to be something like that. He seemed very reluctant to leave, that time he came home. But Shino-otou, why do you think he's come back so suddenly?"

"Ah, for that, musuko, I truly have no answer. Perhaps he was homesick."

"Homesick?"

"Hmm…" Shino's lips twitched as he fought to hold back a smile. "Maybe there is something here precious to him that he missed." Shino gracefully rose to his feet, affectionately ruffling a hand through his stepson's hair once more. "I've leave you to your thoughts then, musuko. I hope I answered your question to your satisfaction."

Hisoka smiled at the endearment directed toward him, saying nothing as Shino left the garden, leaving him alone with his own contemplations, some questions answered, dozens more still a puzzle.

xx

He was not sure how much time he spent sitting alone in the gardens, his eyes closed, his face slack and body limp in a relaxed posture, lost in quiet solace. He could understand now what his mother found so appealing about this place, for the serene atmosphere was a soft, palpable thing, a kind of peace that could seep into a person's very body and reside there, breaching the heart to soothe away the aches and pains of everyday stressful living. It was a good sensation, and he welcomed it as he drifted through the afternoon, alternating between rambling thoughts and light dozing.

As he finally opened his eyes once more, blinking away the fog of sleep, he found himself awash in the warm, vermillion glow radiating from the descending sun. The evening was defintively cooler than before, and the sudden briskness in the air penetrating the sheer material of his yukata, raising goosebumps against his skin. He shivered, and rubbed his hands against his arms, startled by the sudden creaking of the old doors swinging open, revealing a feminine silhouette in the threshold.

"Hisoka-kun? What are you doing out here?"

He looked up at the sound of his mother's voice, jerkily jumping to his feet as he dusted off the dirt gathered on around the hems of his clothing. Hinata approaching him with slow, gliding steps, an innate grace typical of a skilled kunoichi (13), alternating slightly from the purposeful, feline motion produced by the many of the male shinobi he knew, though no less comparative with the power he knew resided there. That kind of grace and strength never failed to leave him in awe.

"Kaasan." He greeted her with a warm smile, folding his arms behind his back as she stopped before him, her jade-white eyes scrutinizing. He stood still and allowed her to study him, wondering at what she may be searching for. At a sudden realization, he jerked with surprise, shocked to find he looked down at her. She smiled.

"You've grown. I'm ashamed I've been too busy to notice, but you've put on several inches since the autumn."

Hisoka said nothing in response, shuffling his feet uncomfortably. Somehow it did not feel quite right to tower over his mother. Hinata only continued to smile pleasantly, not the least bit unfazed. "You should grow used to it now, Hisoka. You'll be a tall one, I'm sure, just like your father."

"My…" he paused, swallowing against the sudden lump in his throat, "My father?"

Hinata's smile slowly faded, her expression growing blank and closed as she nodded solemnly. "Hai," she said softly but firmly, and with that single word, closed the matter to discussion. He grimaced as she turned and motioned for him to follow her back into the house, disconcerted with the sudden tension lying thickly palpable in the air.

"Hisoka-kun…"

"Kaasan?"

"I have something to discuss with you. I need your opinion."

Mildly surprised, he responded quickly, "What is it?"

"Your jounin instructor. Your father and I have discussed it at great length, as well as with our chosen." She paused for a moment, the air full of everything left unspoken. He shivered with a strange feeling of anticipation.

"Does training with Neji appeal to you?"

Elation swelling inside him, a broad grin broke out over his face. "Neji-san? I can train again with Neji-san?"

Hinata turned, giving him a startled glance. "Again? You've trained with him before?"

Seeing her surprise, Hisoka nodded, a little sheepishly. "Hai. Years ago, when he came back for a few months. He taught me Jyuuken and to better the power of my Byakugan, among other things."

Hinata sighed, and again began her trek back into the house. "I see. Well, he always was a good teacher. Firm but understanding."

"Was he that way with you?"

She looked at him sharply. "Who did you hear that from?"

"Shino-otou. He said that Neji-san was your protector as well as your trainer."

"Yes, he was. He is more than willing to train you, Hisoka. I hope you benefit from his instruction."

"I'll try my best."

"I'm glad. Neji will be proud of you, I think, just as we are. He'll be good for you, Hisoka. He is an excellent instructor, and a good man. He was once the support I needed to ascend to the leadership over the clan."

"He had my gratitude then."

Hinata smiled faintly. "Mine as well. I am grateful to him." _He has my gratitude, for all the things he helped me achieve, even for the things we could only dream of._

xx


	4. Hiashi

"Breathe in, breathe out. Relax your shoulders, drop your arms about three degrees to the west. Hold that position, and slowly move your right leg forward."

The low, confident voice dishing out the curt commands had an almost mesmerizing effect, taking the only residence in his mind as Hisoka found himself void of anything else but the flow of the katas as he moved through the motions instructed to him. His eyes closed, breath labored but steady, he paused and began again, and reworking the moves with a sinewy grace he never thought himself capable of.

"Good." Hisoka couldn't help a soft smile as he heard the evident approval in Neji's tone, "That's enough for today."

Hisoka allowed his arms to fall and his body to relax; opening his eyes just in time to catch the towel Neji threw his way. He sighed heavily, rolling back his shoulders to relieve gathering tension in the muscles of his back, patting his face with the coarse fabric. He glanced at his current sensei, who had situated himself comfortably under a nearby evergreen tree, rummaging through a cloth-covered basket he had brought with them that morning. He spared his student a momentary look.

"Don't just stand there gaping. Come get something to eat."

Hisoka obeyed, moving toward the other man, his eyes widening with surprise as he watched Neji remove several onigiri and gyoza, as well as a sifter of cold tea and two cups. Neji looked up at him expectantly, quirking an eyebrow. "Well?"

Hisoka scrambled to obey, seating himself beside the older Hyuuga beneath the shade of a towering maple tree. He smiled at the man who only stared at him in response, moving through the mechanical motions of eating with the same deliberate precision he applied to any other aspect of life. Hisoka only sighed and followed his example, a comfortable silence falling over them until about halfway through the meal when Neji suddenly stopped, lowering his half-eaten gyoza as he stared into the distance with a strange look in his eyes.

"You've improved," he said gruffly, "I have to admit that you surprised me at first. No ordinary student could advance this far within a sparse week. Then again," Neji tilted his head in his student's direction, "You're no ordinary student, are you, Hisoka-kun?"

Hisoka shifted uncomfortably under the new scrutiny, shaking his head. "No, I suppose I'm not, Neji-sensei."

Neji rolled his eyes at the address, already unable to argue the boy out of the notion of using the respectful title. "Modest, yet frank. A good combination in a person of your position, Hisoka."

"Er…Arigatou, Neji-sensei."

"Just an observation, boy, not a compliment."

"Oh, of course, excuse me."

Neji stared for a moment at the boy's discomforted expression, and then shocked Hisoka to no end as his face softened and he laughed, a low, rich sound of mirth so out of character for the stern shinobi Hisoka's mind was whirling. Neji smiled as he caught sight of the younger man's expression.

"Relax, boy. I'm not the monster the gossips make me out to be; at least I haven't been for a good number of years."

Hisoka looked up at him, startled. "You've heard those rumors?"

"Hai (6), it is hard not to. Stories like that spread through the family faster than wildfire. My sudden reappearance sparked even more, I'm sure." He gave Hisoka a sidelong glance. "Surely you're no stranger yourself to that kind of situation."

Hisoka nodded reluctantly, staring off into the distance with a tight expression. "You're right. I'm no stranger."

Sensing the young man's sudden distance, Neji was immediately contrite. "Gomen, Hisoka. Pardon my being insensitive. I overstepped my bounds."

Hisoka fidgeted uncertainly for a moment, seeming thoughtful, and then his face eased with a soft smile. "Iie, sensei. It's alright. All done and over with now."

"Is it really?"

The soft, light tone kept him from noticing for a moment, but as realization set in, the context of the question finally became clear, and Hisoka whirled on the jounin, his eyes wide with apprehension. "What?"

"I asked, is it really over and done with?"

Once more, Hisoka found himself fidgeting uncomfortably. "I…I don't know what you mean, Neji-sensei."

Neji sighed. "Don't lie, Hisoka. It's unbecoming of a Hyuuga."

_Unbecoming of a Hyuuga…_

Hisoka flinched, a dramatic gesture as if taking a physical blow. Neji watched him with concern, gently resting a hand against the young man's shoulder only to have his touch rejected and brushed away, the boy scooting away to place several inches between them. Hisoka drew his knees to his chin, wrapping his arms around his legs and ducking his head, perfecting what was ultimately a defensive posture. Neji's eyes flashed with hurt at the rejection and then quickly hardened, his jaw tightening, as understanding took residence in his mind.

"Hisoka," he began, surprising himself at the low, even tone of his voice, despite the outrage welling up inside, "Who hit you? And when?"

Hisoka dared to glance at him, and his face was deathly pale, his eyes vulnerable in a way that increased tenfold as he saw the anger so prevalent in his teacher's expression. "I'm…I'm sorry, Neji-sensei. It was…Hiashi-sama, but it was a long time ago. I'm sorry for reacting this way. It just shows how pathetic I am."

"Pathetic, no. Victimized, yes." Neji reached out, brushing his hand against the boy's crown of dark hair in such a fatherly gesture that Hisoka let himself relax ever so slightly, though he still eyed the older man warily. "Will you tell me?"

Hisoka nodded, and he reluctantly began his story.

xx

To say Hinata was surprised when Neji came slamming into her study that afternoon was the understatement of the year, watching with wide eyes as he nearly tore off the sliding doors in his haste to enter, slamming them in the face of a protesting servant. He whirled on her, and she felt the profound racing of her heart as the result of some unknown emotion, whether fear or anticipation, she had no idea. His handsome face was contorted into a visibly strained scowl, his eyes blazing with a barely restrained fury, and the very air seemed to charge with the energy of his anger.

"Do you care to explain," he growled out, pointedly punctuating every word, "Why your son is so emotionally distraught by delving into his past that he can't bring himself to look me in the eye, or even accept a simple touch without flinching away?"

Hinata blanched, falling back into her chair as she closed her eyes against the threat of tears, swallowing hard against the rising lump in her throat. "He told you."

"Hai."

"He must trust you greatly, to tell you something like that."

"I asked him to. He did not refuse me." He paused for a moment, and then he seemed to explode as he irritably combed both hands through his hair, his face twisting painfully. "Kami-sama!" he exclaimed, swearing viciously under his breath as he visibly shook from the strain of controlling his temper, "How old was he, Hinata, when Hiashi started taking his hand to him…four, five? Chikuso…if that bastard was still alive, I'd gut him myself! Did you have any idea? Did you put a stop to it? Give me something, Hinata, because I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS HAPPENED TO THE BOY!"

She waited for him to stop yelling, his arms falling to his sides from their wild gesticulations, his chest heaving as he stared at her. " I didn't know," she said slowly, watching him through her lashes as the tears fell faster than she could control, "For the longest time I didn't know. Hisoka…Hisoka has more secrets in his soul than this house has rooms, Neji, and he had yet to share them all."

"How did this happen, Hinata? Why him?"

"Father," and she spat out the word as if it something poison, "Promised me once he would never touch the boy. I thought that I would be enough for his vengenance, but my boy, my sweet boy, felt too guilty to ever tell me what was done to him."

Neji collapsed back into a chair, looking visibly ill. "Please don't tell me what you're implying, Hinata. What did he do to you?"

Hinata choked out a sob, tears streaming freely, and Neji rose once more to his feet, hurtling over the desk to land gracefully at her side, pulling her into his arms as he cradled her against his chest. Somehow, among her tears and his comfort, they found themselves on the floor, uncaring of the strange position as he leaned against the wall with her firmly in lap, curled up against him. He gently stroked her hair as she began to speak.

"He hated me, Neji, for being weak in his eyes. He hated me even more for Hisoka, and maybe even feared the child in my womb who would bring the disgrace of bastard to his name and still harbor the kind of power he always wanted in his bloodline. A genius child, Neii, the son of a genius. He hated that, even more for the fact that he knew I refused to abort the pregnancy, and to force me to do so would insure I could no longer have children. He couldn't take the risk, not when he was bound by law to make me his heir as I lived and breathed.

It started small, the occasional smack or kick in the shin. But the more I began to show, the more vicious he became. It all culminated in one beating where I nearly miscarried, and those same risks came up again. God, Neji, I wish to Kami that I could have fought back, but pregnancy inhibits not only the body but also chakra use, and I was more helpless than I had been in years. In the hospital, I made him promise he would never touch me or my child again. He broke that promise, without my knowing. I didn't find out until Hisoka had gone to the academy, and then I worked to do everything I could to shelter him from that man."

She sobbed, burrowing her head further into his chest. "I failed him, Neji, I failed him so badly. He pretends now, because things are different, that he doesn't carry the scars, but behind the strength in those eyes is a little boy I couldn't protect, who thought that by keeping everything to himself, he was protecting me. That's something the two of you have in common; thinking to protect me at the cost of everything to yourselves."

Neji tightened his arms around her, burying his face in the crook of her neck, comforted by her familiar scent as they clung together. Hisoka's words echoed through his head.

_He was ashamed of me; they all were. Any little mistake I made in my training, or some fumbling I made in front of him, he would hit me for it, saying my behavior was unbecoming of a Hyuuga. I hated him, and I wished him dead. I sometimes wonder…if maybe it was my fault, his death._

"You didn't fail him, Hinata," Neji whispered fervently, "If anyone here is a failure, it is me." He closed his eyes against the pain welling up inside, a familiar echo of regrets and sorrows he could never escape. "I failed to protect you and our son."

"No," she shook her head against his chest, looking up at him with wide and tear-slick eyes. "It wasn't your fault, Neji. If either of us could have prevented anything that happened…"

Neji gazed down at her, his throat tightening with the sudden overflow of years of longing and pain, regret and sorrow, love and hope, and he did the only thing he could think of that felt so utterly right.

He kissed her.


	5. Hinata

Hinata lay prostrate on her bed, curled up around herself in an almost fetal position, her knees drawn to her chest, her head pillowed against her arm. A soft, almost eerie quiet enveloped the room, only interrupted by the faint chorus of the insects out in the gardens bordering her rooms. The curtains to the window were closed, allowing only minimal lamination from the evening sun to penetrate from through the draperies' barrier.

This is the way Shino found her as he stepped into the bedchamber, habitually soundless in his footsteps, closing the door behind him as silently as he entered. His eyes softened with concern as he took in her prone form, sighing lightly as he slid off his glasses and his coat, crossing the room toward her. The bed hissed with an almost inaudible creak as he sat down beside her, pressing a hand to her back as he whispered her name, "Hinata…"

She shivered under his touch, moving a little closer under his hand, a choked sob escaping her from somewhere beneath the fall of raven-black hair shielding her face like a bride's veil. His expression one of utter tenderness, he brushed back her stray tresses of her hair, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, feeling the tell-tale moisture clinging to her skin, the warm flush to her face. "Hinata, tell me what's wrong…"

She turned toward him, nestling into the strong circle of his arms, burying her face in the dark folds of his kimono. "He knows about Hisoka," she murmured, her voice nearly inaudible, muffled against the fabric of his clothing, "He knows everything."

Shino slowly closed his eyes, sighing softly as he sank further into the bed, tightening his arms around her. He had no need to ask who _he_ was. "Everything?"

She understood the strange lilt in his tone, shaking her head firmly to refute his unspoken questions. "No, not that. That he does not know."

"You have to tell him."

Hinata raised her head to look at him, reaching out to place her hand against his cheek. "Not yet. It's not the time."

"Five years has not been enough time?"

"It is five years…sixteen years too late."

"He will understand."

"Hai…he would understand, but can my children?" She smiled sadly, as she stroked the rough skin of his cheek with the pad of her thumb, "Our children?"

"I think…they can understand a great deal." He kissed her, lightly upon the lips, another on the corner of her mouth. He rested his head against hers, his cheek sliding against hers, and he pressed his lips to her forehead. "Hinata…tell me what causes this pain in your eyes, aiko (1)."

"Gods, Shino…why couldn't I protect him?"

"You were so busy being strong, aiko, striving to keep both of you alive. Hisoka has forgiven, with that golden heart of his he has forgiven the most undeserving. Can't you learn to forgive yourself as well?"

"Perhaps…perhaps I can learn."

"Is there something else?" he said softly, leaning into her touch, gazing down at her with quietly understanding eyes. The tender emotion she found there pulled at her heartstrings, calling to her in a way, lulling her into a relaxed state, sinking against the warm comfort of his arms.

"He kissed me…"

Shino sighed, released a harsh expanse of pent-up breath. "Did you want him to?"

She pushed against his chest, determined to put some distance between them, as she stared up at him. "What kind of question is that?"

Shino irritably ran his fingers through his hair, leveling a blank expression in her direction. "What do you want from me, Hinata? You want me to act the part of your husband, or the lover I have never been? I'm under no illusions, Hinata. Your heart is his. It always has been. I have cared for you, but I have no desire to take that from either of you."

"You think I don't know that! Do you think I don't know what you gave up to help me? That I'm not grateful? I just thought I owed it to you, to tell you the truth, for by law you are my HUSBAND!"

His face softened, watching her irritably brush away the tears that threatened to fall. Nineteen years he had known this woman, five of which he had been married to her, and he had seen her falter, seen her break so many times before, but each time, he had watched her display incredible strength as she picked herself back up again. But the human heart was a fragile thing, and a dear one like Hinata's could only take so much abuse.

"Hinata, aiko, I'm sorry. Forgive me, please. I'm not angry with you, only the situation life had handed us." He smiled slightly, an almost invisible gesture that curled his lips just before he leaned in and sealed them over hers in a light, chaste kiss.

She sighed and grew languid, allowing him to draw her once more into his embrace, maneuvering them both so that his back was to the headboard of the bed, her lying across his lap. "Politics," he whispered softly, "Politics and honor. It is our salvation and our poison, Hinata. We must remember that."

"It's hard, Shino."

"I know. It may be over soon."

She gazed up at him through hooded eyes, "What do you mean?"

"I've received a summons from my family. My father has taken a turn for the worst."

"Oh, Shino."

xx

The void was an empty, dark abyss, impenetrable by the force of light. Constant darkness completely barren of emotion or feeling, undisturbed by sensation or pain. An endless chasm of nothingness that engulfed him from the inside out, and he welcomed the oblivion with open arms, as a man would embrace a lover.

 _Breathe in, breathe out_.

Neji had taught him this technique long ago, long before he knew him as anything more than a distant legend, a man who breezed in and out of his life like the mythical being he seemed, with the tales the family spread of his great exploits.

Neji-sensei. He must not think of him. Thoughts of Neji-sensei brought back the pain, the storm of emotions he was working so hard to avoid.

Hisoka tempered his breath as the steady inhalation gradually broke down to a series of heavy pants. His mind engulfed by the void, he steadied himself once more and sought the balance. His transformation became the picture of serenity.

His body lagged, leaden down by the physical sensation of exhaustion, but his was a clear track of discipline, his refusal to slow or surrender. It was an art of physical strength and mental discipline, a fighting style long thought extinct save for the small handful of master whom struggled to keep the ancient teachings alive. It was another of over a dozen styles he had incorporated into his learning over the years; the severe discipline of the style the main point that inspired Neji to ingrain it in his pupil.

There he was again, thinking of Neji. He sighed.

 _Breathe out, breathe in_.

His movements slowed, limbs became heavier and the polish of his dance broke down, as he pushed himself beyond exhaustion. At any moment, as solid as his control appeared, a single falter would shatter what little domination he reserved. The void could slip from the slightest wrong move, and in the split instant of confusion, he would be thrust back into a storm of pain and anger that refused to retreat or be silence.

He exhaled sharply, closing his eyes as he placed all his focus on concentrating his chakra to the soles of his feet. He hissed, wheezing softly with the pain as he felt the physical burn of the great reserve of power he gathered for the purpose he needed, and then he took another deep breath, spreading his legs and lifting his arms. He bent his knees, and released the breath, leaping backward into the air.

He immediately felt the weightless sensation of free-fall, and it was an exhilaration thrill, accelerating his heart, stealing away his breath as he drew his knees up and perfected a series of somersaults in the air as he plummeted toward the ground.

He landed rather loudly, swearing violently at the harsh pain of collision, cursing himself for not remembering to once more reinforce his legs with chakra to protect against impact. Hisoka murmured irritably under his breath, brushing off his pants, wincing as he pressed his fingers to his temples, feeling the familiar throb of chakra deprivation, as if it only worked to add to his misery.

He was startled out of his reflections by the sharp, sudden noise of clapping hands, his eyes fluttering open to land on the familiar form of the servant girl Midori. She was really rather pretty, he observed with pure male appreciation, small and slight in a fashion that raised an protective instinct from inside him, though he also held no illusion to underestimate the inner strength of any female.

Perhaps it was part of the attraction, he mused quietly, something that had stood out blatantly between them since their early adolescence. He loved how bright her eyes became as she looked at him, the way she braided back her pale brown hair, the way her ivory complexion flushed so prettily as she caught his attention on her.

"You shouldn't stare in such a way, Hisoka-sama," she said softly, demurely averting her eyes though her mouth curved into a slight smile.

He arched a brow. "I won't if you remember what we discussed."

"And that would be?" she mimicked him, quirking one fine eyebrow, her voice laced with coyness.

He growled low in his throat, grabbing her around the waist to pull her to him, his mouth a breath away from hers. "A fine actress you are, Midori-chan. Acting so shy."

"Perhaps. But you still have not told this matter we are supposed to have discussed."

"Do you tempt my passions and my temper purposely?" he whispered incredulously, watching as she teasingly traced a finger down his chest, pressing her lips softly against his jawline.

"Are you tempted?" And the woman had the gall to unabashedly meet his eye. Drat her. Being two and half years his senior was really no excuse to play games with his head.

Watching his face contort with puzzlement, she shook with silent laughter, watching his expression soften with a grin as he ducked his head to kiss her, his mouth a warm softness against hers as his lips lingered longer than normal, his eyes darkened with an unspoken emotion.

"Word games aside, Hisoka," she said softly, "I really have missed seeing you."

He raised her hand to his lips. "I've missed you too."

She slid out of his embrace, tugging on his hand as she lead him down the path leading down to an isolated meadow just to the east of the estate. "Come on. I want some time with the great Hyuuga genius."

He only smiled and allowed himself to be led away from a place of responsibility and the burden of his life.

xx

Aiko- little love


	6. Midori

In the meadow, the grasses grew tall as an average size man, sweeping upward in long stretches of tawny, golden-brown and emerald green, the sun beaming down in softly amber beams, warming them in the mild spring afternoon, but not making the atmosphere around them unbearable. The grasses obscured them from ordinary vision, discouraging any gossip's use of the Byakugan, hiding them away from the rest of the world as they lay side by side, oblivious to the foliage catching in hair or clothes.

Midori was nestled against him, her body fitting quite nicely to the contours of his own, his arm loosely around her waist, and her head against his shoulder. He sighed softly and absently nuzzled her neck, and she smiled indulgently, fiddling with a piece of grass between her fingers.

"So how did you do that?" she asked him suddenly.

"Do what?"

"That thing from the tree. You must have been twenty feet above the ground, Hisoka."

"Mmm," he leaned his forehead against her shoulder, curling his fingers through the stray hairs falling down her back, "Chakra control. It's a hard exercise, but Neji thinks it's good for me."

"Ah, Neji-san…the genius…I heard about his return."

"Hai…Okaasan assigned him as my trainer."

"For the jounin exam?" as he nodded, she smiled quietly, "You're lucky then. He hear he's very skilled, the very best."

"He is…but…he surprised me…"

"How so?"

"He's not as cold as people make him out to me. I found it strangely easy to talk to him, especially about some of the most difficult things in my life."

She wrapped her hands around his arm, scooting even closer until her back pressed to his chest, her head falling back to rest in the crook of his neck. "Like you can talk to me?"

His brow furrowed, and he bit his lip as he puzzled out his answer. She laughed softly and smoothed her thumb against his mouth, startling him enough that he stopped. "That's a bad habit you have, worrying your lip like that."

"Ano, it's hereditary. Okaasan does the same thing as she looks over reports and the such. Shino-otou said she's always had a nervous habit of some kind."

"Hmm…it's hard to picture Hinata-sama seeming so…"

"Human?" he inquired, cocking a dark brow.

"Not quite the word I was looking for, but yes, sort of."

"I think I understand, but sometimes, behind the power and the position, she's just my Kaasan. That's all the matters."

"I'm glad you have such a close relationship with her." She kissed his cheek, smoothing back the hair that fell against his forehead. "Anyway, you were saying…"

"Ah…right. It's the same, but different at the same time, talking to him. Neji-sensei just…pulls at me somehow. Something tells me it's alright to get close to him. That maybe…"

"He won't leave again?"

Hisoka smiled wanly. "Hai."

"Hisoka…" She turned in his arms, embracing him in return, and he surrendered himself, pressing as close to her as he could manage, burying his face in her hair, breathing in the subtle scent of wildflowers. "Don't hide things like this. Every time we see each other, you try and convince me you're perfectly okay. You've opened up with me before, and Kami-sama knows you know every inch of my soul by now. Don't shut me out, alright?"

"Hai." He exhaled sharply, releasing the tension built up inside of him since the previous morning, sinking into her arms as they fell back into the grass, wrapped up in each other. Somewhere amongst their embrace, his mouth met hers and clung, and she melted against him, such a sweet submission he couldn't bring himself to stop, not pulling away as quickly as he normally would.

So the kiss lingered, sweet and soft and a slow kindling of a passion his young body knew from first touch, something hot and enticing and exciting that enflamed his very being. They finally broke away, breathless and wanting for air, and he moved his head down for another kiss, but Midori placed her fingers against his lips. He froze, staring at her in bewilderment.

"What is it? Did I do something wrong?"

"Iie…I just think that's enough for now."

"Why?" He kissed her cheek, the side of her neck, his lips warm against her skin. "You still like me, don't you?"

"Of course I do. You know that."

"Then what?"

"…a tumble in the grass isn't what we need, Hisoka…that isn't what we're about…and well, you're young yet…"

Hisoka sighed, closing his eyes as he leaned his head against hers. "You're right. I'm sorry. But…" he trailed off, opening one eye to look at her hesitantly. "Midori, have you ever…"

Her face flushed, and her eyes narrowed as she swatted him in the arm and moved out of his embrace. "No! Of course not! How could you ask me something like that?"

"I'm sorry, Midori…I just…you know I'm…"

"An innocent?" she asked wryly, accepting his embrace as he slipped his arms around her once more, tracing a finger down his chest, "Ne, Hisoka?"

Hisoka's face broke out with a vivid blush, and he mumbled incoherently under his breath. She laughed softly and he pulled her against him, falling against the grass on his back, nestling her against him. She pressed her ear against his chest, heard the strong, steady rhythm of his heartbeat. "I don't want to sound hypocritical, Hisoka, but you're young. Neither of us is made for a casual relationship…"

"I never said I wanted that."

"I know," she gently chided, "But that's not what I'm saying. That type of intimacy…"

"Please don't lecture me," he groaned, "Midori, honestly, please don't. I know you're older than I am, and honestly, it does make me feel awkward at times, but I know I'm not ready, and that you're not…that's not the appeal I see in this and you know it. You've never treated me like a child," he cupped her face, tracing his fingers along the curve of her cheek as she raised her head to look at him. "You've always looked beyond what I am, to who I am. You always listen. That's what I want."

She smiled, placing her hands over his. "Good boy," she said simply.

He looked absolutely dumbfounded. "Wha?"

That sly smile still tugged at her lips as she propped herself up on her elbows, gazing down at him. "You're a good guy, Hisoka, and a mature one. Don't let anyone change that."

He cocked an eyebrow, his lips quirking with the beginnings of a grin. "Oh? And who do you think it is that's corrupting me?"

Their laughter echoed as he pulled her toward him once more, kissing them both breathless as they fell back into the grass, lost in their shared embrace.

Finally, she rolled away from him, slapping his hands away as he reached for her once more. She rolled her eyes as he playfully pouted. "Iie. Any more and I'll be refuting everything we just talked about."

He sighed dramatically but relented, leaning on one elbow as he regarded her thoughtfully. "Alright then. We can finish our discussion from the training grounds."

She blanched, but covered the expression by smiling innocently at him. "What discussion would that be?"

He frowned, his brow creasing with the severity of the expression. "Don't play coy. You know what I'm talking about. About you insisting on adding a –sama to my name whenever we're in the public eye."

"I thought you understood it was all in play. I like to tease you, there's nothing new about that."

"Not just in that kind of instance, I mean other times too. Why?"

She sighed, turning her eyes to stare listlessly at the skies above them, a vivid cerulean barely obscured by cover of cloud. "Truth?"

"Preferably."

"It's a show of respect, Hisoka, plain and simple. You're Main House."

"The houses don't exist anymore. Kaasan-"

"Hinata-sama raised the bans, but that doesn't mean they still don't exist in the minds of the Hyuuga, Hisoka."

"I know that."

"I'm from a servant family. It should be plain and simple as that."

"Iie. Midori." And he found himself nearly growling her name in his frustration, grabbing her arm to make her look at him. "I'm bastard, Midori. I have no real status at all. I grew up with the Main Family treating me like I wasn't worthy of the dirt beneath their feet. Why is this different?"

"You think being illegitimate matters, Hisoka? You're still Hinata-sama's son. I'm not good enough."

"Not-" he chocked, staring at her with wide eyes, "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

"Ridiculous, you say. I say realistic. Why else do we hide, Hisoka? Why do you think I play the role of the shy servant girl just to catch a glimpse of you on days we can't be together? What makes you think-"

He cut her off by sealing his lips over his, her body tensing and then growing languid, sinking into him as he kissed her slowly, languously, but with a deliberate passion, a steady, strong enflaming of affection and desire.

"We hide," he whispered huskily as they parted, "Because I never wanted you stained with the humiliation of associating with the Hyuuga bastard. Midori, you mean more to me that anyone ever has." He smiled softly, tucking her hair back behind her ear. "I pass this jounin exam and I can start to build a reputation as a shinobi. I know I've got the potential, and soon, soon I'll have some recognition to my name that has nothing to do with my birth. I'll be worth something, Midori."

She stared at him for a long moment, and then slid her arms around his neck, holding him close as she pressed a kiss to his throat, exhaling softly. "You have the most bizarre logic, you know that?"

He chuckled, pressing his face to her hair. "I'm not the only one. But you know, my only ties to the family are bonds of love, Midori. I have no real obligations holding me back, I'm not in the succession and I have no duty. I can marry whoever I please."

She looked at him oddly, not quite able to hide the hint of hope in her eyes, but then she shook her head, resting it back against his shoulder. "I rest my case. Are you sure you're only fifteen?"

"So they tell me."


	7. Naruto

_When the tears started to fall, they fell like rain, and it felt almost impossible to stop. Perhaps then, she would have welcomed the rain, for then the spring shower could obscure the tears she cried and hide her weakness from the world. But no, instead the spring celebrated its return with the teasing scent of the cherry blossoms of the breeze, an inevitable reminder of the one her love truly desired. The sakura fell, and announced his return, but after three years of absence, his heart was as unattainable as ever before._

_Calloused fingers wiped away her tears, strong arms wrapped around her, sheltered her from the rest of the world as he whispered reassurances into her ear, not to be ashamed to release herself from the pain of her first broken heart. He was strong, and warm, and always there, solid as stone but gentle as the wind._

_He held her close, and protected her from the world._

_For that, she would always love him._

"Byakugan!"

He felt the flush of heat enveloping his body, the straining in his eyes, the vigor that accompanied the chakra fueling his body, spreading through every nerve and cell, his life force and life blood. Distantly, he heard the sound of Neji's voice, calm, commanding, reverberating.

"Good, now amp up the chakra to the maximum levels. Concentrate your stance and your breathing. Stay calm."

Steadying his breath, he fell into a familiar battle stance.

"Next, focus on the enemy's chakra points. Find them, but don't let all your attention be distracted. Still remember to watch around you. An enemy attack can come from all sides."

"Now, move it up a level!"

"JYUUKEN!"

The chakra raged through him, outward, directed toward his sensei, swiped aside as casually as a child's toy by Neji in a simple defensive barrier. The older man was grim-faced, stern and placid, his mouth set in a thin, firm line that offered no clue to his emotions as he shifted and fell into the posture for the defensive technique needed to thwart his next attack.

"Now, ATTACK!"

"HAKKE ROKUJUUYON SHOU!"

Almost instantly, Neji countered with the defensive barrier. "HAKKESHOU KAITEN!"

"Ah!" The chakra was bright and burning, tangible, visible, blazing in the air, overwhelming in its intensity as he just barely remembered to move his fingers through the forms of the jutsu he would need to take off the brunt of the backlash as it came crashing into him. Still, when it hit, it came harsh and painful as a lightning strike, knocking the air out of him and crushing against his ribs as he flew backwards into the trunk of a tree.

He hit the ground, clutching at his abdomen, squeezing his eyes shut as he groaned through the pain. He inhaled and exhaled deeply, ignoring the ache in his chest that came with the act, desperately attempting to steady his breath for fear of his body going into hyperventilation. Strong hands touched his back, laying him flat and prostrate against ground, supporting his head as Neji gently but firmly prodded his ribs and stomach for signs of internal bleeding.

"Good, no major damage. You pulled the defensive jutsu a moment too late, but other than that, you did amazingly well, Hisoka. I think that's enough for today."

Hisoka wearily opened his eyes, blinking away blurry vision to focus on his sensei's proudly smiling face. He accepted the hand Neji offered him, allowing himself to be aided to his feet. He stumbled once, grunting at the soreness in his chest, but quickly regained his composure. He gave Neji a tired smile, one that was returned and rewarded with a hand on his shoulder.

"Congratulations, Hisoka. You just mastered one of the Main Family's strongest bloodline techniques."

Hisoka beamed.

"Now, how about we go into town? Lunch is on me."

xx

The spring had passed this year, and along with it, the summer, welcoming in the crisp, fresh slumber of the autumn. The leaves changed and the seasons slowly passed, chasing along the tails of the years that continued to pass her by. Still, sometimes it was hard to imagine so much time had gone by, but then other times, she looked upon the faces of her beloved children and thought the time was gone by too fast.

It was a strange paradox, but she had traded away youth for duty long ago, and though barely aged in her years, it was the weight of that same passing time that made her feel older than her physical form told her. Even her heart had grown so tired, so heavy, harboring in its deepest chasms that youthful feeling _he_ once invoked in her, turning the broken pieces of a crush into the long, steady warmth of first, and only, true love.

The resounding laughter of children brought a smile into her lips, and she caught sight of the giggling blurs of black and brown and brazen gold that zipped passed her place overlooking the family gardens. A familiar figure appeared on the long, ascending staircase leading up to her, and he raised a hand in greeting as he continued the journey in long, purposeful strides.

He had grown over the years, strong and confident and proudly masculine in a way that offset the brash, loudmouthed arrogance of their youth. His broad frame was outfitted in the robes of his station, though he had long since refused to wear the hat, leaving his golden hair subject to the wind, carelessly tousled in the light breeze. He was a ruggedly handsome man, built tall and stocky, charming in his own right. He was Naruto, the Rokudaime Hokage.

"Ah, konnichwa, Hinata-chan."

"Greetings, Hokage-sama," she replied softly, respectfully inclining her head in his direction, "What brings you out this afternoon?"

He made a face, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Ano, we've discussed that, Hinata-chan. No need for titles among friends."

She merely smiled and shook her head, motioning for him to sit beside her. He did so, leaning back against the wall as he inhaled deeply, releasing the breath in a sigh of contentment. "You know something. I'd have to say autumn is my favorite season. Everything is preparing to sleep for the winter, and yet you can still taste the remnants of the summer on in the air."

She glanced at him wryly. "Is it really for such romantic notions, or is it just because it was the autumn when you brought Sasuke-san home at last?"

Naruto grinned and rubbed his head, reminding her unmistakably of the boy he once was. "Alright, alright, you caught me. Poetry aside, it really was this season that changed everything…"

She placed her hand over his, giving it a gentle squeeze before releasing it. "I'm truly glad, Naruto-kun, that you found your happiness at last."

"Hai," and his wistful smile as nostalgic, distant, as he watched the children at play, "It really was a long road. Five years to finally find that bastard again, ten years to finally avenge his clan, and to finally drag his stubborn ass back to Konoha."

He sighed softly, tilting back his head to watch the clouds lazily rolling by. "Where on earth have all these years gone?"

Hinata mimicked his position; glad at this rare time of quiet company she had with this particular old friend. She sighed softly. "Being given to them, I think," she told him, pointing down to the children in the garden.

"Ah, you may be right." He chuckled. "How did our teachers pull it off? Thirty-one and I feel as if I've already seen lifetimes."

"We're young yet, Naruto-kun. Just not as spry or resistant, not in body and heart at least."

"True." He folded his arms across his chest, his eyes softening as the sounds of the squabble between the three genin boys reached their ears. Uchiha Makoto and Uzumaki Arashi, different as night and day, yet fighting among themselves as only brothers could. Nearly two years apart in age, yet nearly equal in skill and fierce in competition with each other. Eerily resembling to each of their fathers, identical green eyes the only thing speaking of their shared heritage. Half-brothers through their mother, the head medic-nin at the Konoha hospital, Haruno Sakura.

"You know something," Naruto said quietly, his voice almost inaudible in its softness, "I'll never forget the way I was constantly vying for Sakura's attention, wondering, waiting, just wanting that attention she smothered Sasuke with. Then, he left, and so did I. We left her alone, and still her affection for each of us didn't wane. If anything, it only grew."

He exhaled sharply, pausing. Hinata waited patiently, already knowing the story but prepared to hear him out. His eyes fluttered closed, as if looking into the past, and continued on with his narrative. "Just thinking of all the time we lost, it makes me regretful, but still…I know we wouldn't be the people we are today without all those years between us. Hell, I was twenty when I finally watched him kill his brother, when Sakura told me she was expecting my child."

He smiled quietly. "I remember finally dragging his butt back through the front gates. What a day that was! And I remember…it didn't matter anymore who it was Sakura loved. She loved me no more than him, and him no more than me. It was…the strangest thing…but the best thing in the end, I think."

She smiled with him, nodding lightly as she too remembered. It wasn't so common an arrangement, but among those not of the noble families, there were some shinobi not inclined toward marriage. In Naruto and Sasuke's case with Sakura, it was fear of burdening her, knowing that with each of them the elite among their kind, their deaths could come at any time. So, they loved her equally, quietly, each in their own way, and looked after the young heirs to each of their names. Honor. Duty. Love.

"Hai," Naruto's voice broke through her reflections, "Honor. Duty. Love."

She flushed, not realizing she had spoken aloud. She glanced at him thoughtfully. "Why are you telling me all of this, Naruto?"

"I finally found an opportunity to call Neji home…five years too late, I know, but little else I could do." He paused, eyes as clear a blue as the skies above them gazing outward, this time locking on the third boy, her second son, Akira. "I told you all this, Hinata…because I want you not to live on regret. None of you can change anything that's happened over the last sixteen years, but without it, you wouldn't be the people you are. But that doesn't mean you can't still be happy. Honor, duty, they're wonderful things, but you've fulfilled them, Hinata. Don't you think it's time you gave love a try?"

She said nothing for a long moment as a light wind blew, ruffling through her hair and the folds of her kimono, chilling her slightly. "Did you ever think it strange that the boys ended up on the same genin team?"

He shook his head, smiling lightly. "Iie. Actually, I think it fated somehow. They make a good match, don't you think?"

"Hai. They really do." At eleven and nine, Arashi and Makoto were not geniuses, but still their differences seemed to work to their advantage, making them the youngest rookies of their class but among the most skilled.

"Koto has his father's pride and his calculation. Arashi has my impulse and his mother's strength. They work well together, even with the Nara boy. By the way, I am sorry I had to bring them out with me, but I just picked them up from their training…"

She waved her hand dismissively. "It's fine. Akira enjoys the company, even from children so many years his senior."

"Hai." He chuckled lightly. "If Akira-kun was just a few years older, he might have been a favorable match for the boys."

He rose, dusting off his robes. Hinata glanced at him quizzically. "Do you have duties to attend to?"

"Iie," a smile curled his lips, "Just duties to my family. Sasuke returns tonight from his patrol, and Sakura-chan threatened to strangle us both if we didn't have dinner with her and the boys." He smirked. "I think she misses us."

"Hai…it's all natural…to miss the ones you love when they're farthest from you."

"Hinata," and his eyes were tender as he leaned down to kiss her cheek, "He's not so far away anymore. And Shino…Shino must pay his call to duty soon."

"I know." She placed her hand over his. "Arigatou, Naruto."

He flashed her a grin, echoing of the boy she was knew. "Sou ka. It's no problem, Hinata-chan. What else are friends for?"

She watched as he descended the stairs, shouting to the boys who ran to him in blurs, black and blond hair ruffling in the wind as both children leapt into his arms, their laughter echoing as he supported a boy on each broad shoulder, walking back toward the village. Akira, meanwhile, was rapidly running toward her, his face bright with a grin. It was in moments like that when she knew what it was Naruto meant the most.

Family.


	8. Aburame

_It was springtime, bordering on the onslaught of the summer season, the mild softness of the spring mixing with the spicy heat of summertime. Still, the forest was cool that day, light spilling in teasing pools of molten gold through the thick canopy of overhanging trees, long, cobalt shadows cast by them providing amble shading from the hovering menace of the sun._

_A-buzz with life was the forage around her, the sounds of insects chirping and birds singing, the distant calls of animals yet unknown to her auditory memory. Still, her favorite sound was the low hum resounding from him, a rich, pleasant reverberation whose repeating chorus was an echo of an old childhood song, almost absentminded as he softly sang while his attention was elsewhere, on the repetitive movements of sharpening his kunai._

_She could not help but laugh delightedly, and though she tried to smother the noise, there was not much that escaped his attention. His eyes were on her within a split second, his gaze sharp and questioning, but still soft with affection she had come to treasure from him._

" _Ano, what is it?" he did not sound exasperated or annoyed, only curious, and she giggled again, leaning back her head to take in the warmth of the morning sunlight._

" _Nothing, it's just…the song you were humming, it's an old child's tune, isn't it?"_

_He grimaced, previously unaware he had given voice to the music running through his head, but he nodded, sighing heavily as the scraping sound of his sharpening began once more. "Hai…do you recall it?"_

" _Of course…I remember…your mother taught it to us. It was one of our favorites. When we played chase in the fields, it was…a sign to tell someone where you were." She smiled lightly, remembering, being lost among the golden seas of wheat, guided by the echoing, light, pleasant tenor of his young voice, teasing but reassuring as he led her through the weaves of grain by sound instead of sight._

_The low, deep sound of his laughter reached her ears, along with his near-whisper of, "I remember…as well…I remember well…"_

_The sound of his sharpening stopped abruptly but she thought nothing of it until she felt the tingle down her spine that spoke of his sudden, close proximity. Her eyes fluttered open, wide and startled, taking in his face twisted into a perplexed, unreadable expression, his brow furrowed with disconcertion._

_She touched a hand to his cheek, concerned, and he jumped under her touch, his fingers grasping tightly around her wrist. They stared at each other for a moment, and he leaned close, so close his eyes were a blur of vivid, jade-white and his breath was hot against her skin, and he spoke, his voice soft as a ghostly touch._

" _Hinata…if I kiss you right now…would you hate me?"_

_She smiled softly, tracing a finger down his cheek. "How could I hate you for it, when I want you to do it so badly?"_

_His lips were on hers, and the kiss was soft, light, fragile, and delicate as if something that could be broken. And then her arms slipped around his neck, pulling him closer, and he was suddenly kissing her in earnest, a slow stirring of a heat, a passion, that changed the world forever. He kissed until the world changed, and them along with it, and even that was not enough._

He stood, much as she had found him many a morning over the past five years, watching the sunrise from a balcony on the top floor of the family compound. The star was in the early stages of its morning ascension, merging the twilight with the gray of the dawn. A light, hazy mist covered the estate, obscuring most of the grounds from sight but still creating a surreal effect that echoed of the arcane majesty that was the Hyuuga.

Hinata came to stand at his side, acknowledged by his light, gentle smile and the hand he extended toward her. She accepted the hand, fitting easily his side as he slipped an arm around her waist. It was a comfortable, familiar pose, one they often perfected when making public appearances or when facing the council of elders.

Now, however, it was more for the solidarity and the reassurance of his presence, to fight back the uncertainty that the dawning of the day would bring.

"So," she said softly, leaning her head back against his shoulder, "How bad is he?"

"Haruno-san says there is little they can do," Shino replied, a quiet, submissive sort of sadness darkening his eyes, as if he had already come to terms with the inevitable. She wrapped her arms around him, and he accepted her embrace, closing his eyes as he leaned his head against hers.

"His illness is fatal. They don't expect that he'll live through the New Year."

"Oh, Shino," her eyes closed as well, resting her head against his chest as if to ward off the world, "I'm sorry."

He pressed a kiss to her hair. "It's alright. It had been a long time coming. But I have obligations to fulfill, Hinata. You know what that means."

She nodded, swallowing hard against the sinking feeling in her gut. "Hai, I know."

They stood for a few moments in a comfortable silence, watching as the horizon shot through with vermillion and violets and brilliant marigold, painting the skies in a vivid spectrum of color.

It was a beautiful sunrise, and a strange, wistful melancholy washed over her as she realized this would be their last together as husband and wife. Perhaps she did not love him romantically, but Shino had been constant protection, reassurance, friend, confident, and companion for five years. There was a large part of her that was reluctant to let go of his comfortable familiarity.

From then, there was uncertainty. And uncertainty, thy name is Neji…

"Do not be so fearful, aiko," Shino whispered in her ear, brushing his lips lightly against her neck, an intimacy as casual now as the air they breathed with the years they had slept side by side, "You are no less his heart now than you were then. That much is still evident in his eyes."

"Iie. It is not the steadfastness of his love I doubt, Shino, or my own."

"Then what is it? What troubles you so badly?" She shivered reflexively in the chill of the morning, and he tightened his arms around her, pressing her back against the warmth of him.

"Change, I suppose. Hisoka, for starters. I have to tell him, Shino, but I don't even know where to start."

He chuckled softly. "The beginning always works well."

She wrinkled her nose at him, sniffing indignantly. "If you're just going to tease me, you're no help at all."

"I don't mean to tease, honestly. But that can't be all you're fretting about. Come now, you've always been able to talk to me."

She sighed, slumping back against him. "Change, Shino. How much change have I already brought to this clan? How much of an uproar are we about to start?"

"Frankly, I would say this is a mild spring storm compared to the typhoon of change you caused years ago. But you're right; this will be a major catalyst. However…it's time, Hinata. You've done your duty to your family. Now it's time you did your duty to your heart."

She smiled. "You sound like Naruto. He said almost the exact same thing."

"Perhaps he's wiser than he seems, then. And perhaps we both have a point?"

"Hai," she turned in the circle of his arms and kissed him lightly, a gentle, chaste press of lips to lips, an echo of a thousand soft kisses shared and a thousand nights spend in his arms. He was never lover, but he was comfort and solace. He would always have a place in her heart.

"Hinata," he said quietly as they parted, gently combing his fingers through her hair, "The boys…"

She shook her head, placing a finger against his lips to cut off his speech. "I know."

He smiled and repeated her earlier action, kissing her softly before pressing his lips to her brow, a gesture more brotherly than anything else.

"Hmm," she murmured, watching as the sun rose higher over the horizon, already dissipating the dewy mist, "If you don't mind me asking, who is she?"

"Who?"

"The one who will be yours."

"Ah. She is a girl in the clan, ten years our junior, but lovely and sweet-tempered. She was, years ago, made my betrothed at her birth. Now, my father had renewed that contract." He sighed, his smile wistful, his eyes distant as if remembering. "She was…just blossoming into a woman when we married, but I've seen her recently. She's…quite grown."

"I see…do you love her?"

"Hmm," he paused, looking thoughtful, "Hai, I do. I've always cared for her, and those feelings are quite precious to me. Does that anger you?"

"Of course not. I'm glad you will be happy."

"Hai." And he pressed another kiss to her forehead, easing out of their shared embrace. "And I wish you the same. All the happiness you could ever desire, Hinata."

"Thank you, Shino. For everything you've done."

"It was my pleasure, and my honor."

xx

The morning after he and Neji's most climatic training session yet, Hisoka found himself sore and aching, far from jaunty as his limbs tightened and stiffened, his whole body seeming to scream with protest as he attempted to rise from his bed. As a result, he found himself bathed, fed, and clothed, walking hurriedly through the corridors toward his mother's gardens, at a much later hour than was habitual for him.

The previous day, the explosive training that elicited some kind of satisfied pride between both Neji and himself, and the older man had opted that Hisoka spend the rest of the afternoon with him; soon Hisoka found himself spending the day with his sensei, sharing laughter and swapping stories over lunch and tea.

Hisoka had come to find he enjoyed the older man's company immensely, and had had no quarrels or protests against such an arrangement. That, combined with an evening spent in Midori's company, had exhausted him to the point where he had foregone dinner and merely collapsed early into bed.

Now, delayed as it was, he was finally given the opportunity to speak with his mother, and he was eager to share his news.

She was, unsurprisingly, indeed in her gardens, not all the plant life yet killed off by the inevitable early winter frost still to come. She tilted her head in his direction as his feet crunched against the dead leaves blanketing the garden grounds, holding out her hand in a sign to join her on the bench she sat upon.

He seated himself beside her, smiling rather boyishly as he plucked one of the late blossoms, delicately tucking in behind her ear, and she looked at him wryly, both of them sharing quiet laughter as they basked in the rare company of each other's company.

"Is your training going well, musuko?" she asked him, her tone quiet and serene as she looked out into the gardens surrounding them.

"Hai. I have news, actually. I'm beginning to master several of the Main House techniques, far above the Byakugan. Neji-san says it's rare for an individual to make as much progress as I have in such a short time."

"I'm glad," and she smiled, clasping his hand in hers, "Do you enjoy your time, Neji?"

"Hai! Immensely! I couldn't have asked for a better teacher."

"And as a person? Do you feel the same for him in that instance?"

"Hai." He cocked his head curiously. "Kaasan, is something the matter? You don't seem like yourself."

She sighed. "There's something we must discuss, Hisoka."


	9. Akira

Neji stalked through the corridors of the Hyuuga compound, his face dark with a scowl of perplexed exasperation as he searched out the one person besides his lady who would dare to summon an audience with him. Aburame Shino had a lot of nerve, he had to admit, and while he had always held a cold respect for the man as a fellow shinobi and one of considerable talent, there would always be a grudging tension that Shino currently held the same position Neji coveted.

He was Hinata's husband. He was Hisoka's father figure.

Neji froze, his brow furrowing with inner disconcertion, a rare moment of unguarded emotion blanketing his face as his countenance clouded over with guilt and pain.

_Hinata…_

His eyes closed of their own accord, remembering…

_Hinata…_

" _Neji…"_

_His name had never sounded as sweet as it did as it rolled off her tongue in a moan of passion, and no matter how many times he heard it, he could never get enough. But still, the walls in the manor were thin, walls with eyes and ears, and it was with rough urgency that his mouth clamped over hers, stifling any sound she made._

_She submitted instantly, oddly trusting, for he was uncouth but gentle, passionate but giving, and as she heard the whisper of the last fabric separating them fall to the floor, as he lifted her to him, her trust was in him indefinitely. As he pressed her back against the shoji shutting out the world, her legs instinctually wrapping around his waist as he pushed inside her, it was tides of desire rising and falling with every breath, rivaling with the steady warmth of love as her hips rocked slowly with his._

_Her nails raked down his back, his thrusts slow and sensual as they moved together, bodies straining and arching in fervent rhythm. His breath fanned across her cheek, his eyes half-lidded but staring into her own, burning with an undeniable fire, an unquenchable passion. It was the same passion that had sparked between them months before, when he finally gave in and kissed her for the first time, unstoppable in its force and unexplainable in its ardor._

_His lips danced across her skin, skimming down her neck, trailing butterfly kisses along her collarbone. He murmured husky whispers into her ear, many of them indecipherable, unintelligible, others that both thrilled her and made her wary._

" _I love you…I'll never love another like you…There will never be another…" He bit down gently, his tongue running over the abused flesh, met with her low whimper of pleasure. "Mine, Hinata, always mine."_

" _Hai…always…never another, never another to make me feel this way. Never another to take your place," she adamantly replied, drawing his mouth back to hers, and it was into each other that they released the pent-up screams of completion as they both surrendered to oblivion._

Had she kept her promise…?

He chuckled lightly, allowing himself a moment of fond nostalgia. If his calculations were on target, that could very well have been the night they conceived their son, given the usual spontaneity and rarity of their encounters. What a treasured reminiscence…

He sighed, his eyes opening and slowly refocusing as he tugged absentmindedly at the collar of his black shirt, under the forest-green of his jounin vest. It was strange, back in clothing once familiar to his jounin status. Far too many years having to dress in cultural attire of the people he acted as embassy to.

"Hyuuga…"

His head snapped around, his brows knitting with irritation as he realized he had been so caught up in his own reflections he had not sensed or even heard the other man's approach. "Aburame," he said stiffly, nodding in greeting, "Let's just get to the point. What is this about?"

Shino's eyes were unreadable behind the opaque dark of his glasses, but he lifted an eyebrow, his lips curling slightly with cynical amusement. "Rude and brusque as ever, Hyuuga. You're lucky I can see through the act or back then, I would have sided with Kiba and kept you away from Hinata."

Neji snorted. "And what, pray tell, do you think Inuzuka and you could have done against me?"

"We would have found some way," Shino answered airily, leaning casually against a nearby wall, "She was… _is_ …someone precious to us, Hyuuga. You ought to know that. You should also be relieved…that all these years down the line, it is me you face as Hinata's husband, and not one of the others."

Neji bristled, and gritted his teeth, but still he did not reply. Shino continued on.

"Naruto had his own goals, his own promises to keep and his own infatuation to deal with, but still he cared. Kiba was a clan heir, just as I am, but his impulse and rash nature would not have been ideal. So, I face you now, Hyuuga Neji, with the last sixteen years between us. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Neji scowled, his chakra flaring momentarily before fading once more, though every inch of his form radiated tension and rage. "How can you stand there and accuse me, Aburame? Do you honestly think I haven't lived every day, every second, with regret, with guilt, with the burden of still loving her? Is that what you think of me?"

Shino straightened, taking a step closer as he scrutinized the other shinobi, and then he spoke, slowly, carefully, as if measuring out a judgment long in coming. He cocked his head in Neji's direction, his expression contemplative. "You're angry, but it's not with me. You wear indifference like armor, but underneath…guilt, regret, pain…it's there, Neji-san, clouding your eyes. Clear your vision and take a look at what's in front of you."

"…in front of me…?"

"Have you heard the news?"

"Hai…your father…Shibi-sama…I'm sorry…"

"Your sympathies are duly noted, but that's not what I mean. My father is fatally ill, and now it's my duty to step up as head of the clan. My role as Hinata's consort is over. Our arrangement will be annulled, and I will be married, expected to produce full-blooded heirs to my bloodline."

"I see…" Neji sighed, stunned as he swallowed hard, staring intently but blankly at the wall before him. "And where does this leave…the rest of us?"

"That is your decision, and Hinata's. My role is over, as I said. You should know, however, that Hinata is talking with Hisoka as we speak. I think you should prepare yourself."

Neji found himself feeling suddenly weary…resolved, but tired. "Hai, thank you, Aburame…for everything. I sincerely mean it…for watching over her when I could not."

"It was the least I could do, Hyuuga. Just one more thing, though."

Neji's eyes pointed heavenward, wondering at what new revelation was now to rock what comfort was left of his familiar world. "Hai?"

"The boy, Akira…the heir…he was almost exactly ten months after our wedding ceremony. Think, Neji, who was returned exactly five years ago when Hiashi passed from this world? Who renewed his role as her protector, and her lover?"

His back to Neji, he paused in his steps in the process of walking away, glancing at the Hyuuga genius over his shoulder. "She was faithful to her memory, you know. I was husband, but I only knew Hinata's bed, not her body as one would expect from man and wife. Think carefully, Neji. How easily shall the clan accept one who carries the greatest potential of their bloodline limit as Hinata's husband, especially if it is revealed he fathered their heir? The transition would be a bit smoother, ne?"

With that final thought, Shino turned away, his footsteps soundless as he left Neji in the empty corridor, alone with his thoughts.

xx

"Shino-otou!"

Shino stopped, turning toward the breathless boy who skidded to a stop behind him, hunching over as he struggled to regain some air, his face strained with the effort to catch up to his elder. But there was a strange undercurrent of mixed emotions under the strain…sorrow, longing, hope, and anger…the hot, hurting kind of outrage that he remembered all too well burning in the eyes of the man who bore this boy's face, who helped Hinata give this boy his life. His father.

Hisoka's eyes, Hyuuga eyes, were dark and opaque, blanketed with emotion, hurt as they locked on him. "Were you not even going to say goodbye?"

Shino smiled softly as he reached out, placing a hand against the boy's head of dark hair. In a few years, that feat would be virtually impossible, if more than rather difficult. Hisoka was as much his father's son as he was his mother's, and Neji's impressive height would be an inherited trait for both his sons, Shino was sure.

"I didn't think you would really want to see me…after you had talked with your Kaasan."

Hisoka made a face, scrubbing a hand over his face as he scowled quite uncharacteristically. "Did you know? Have you known all along as well?"

"Of course I did. I was around then, Hisoka, if not as closely as I am now. Did you expect less?"

"I expected not to be lied to," the young man growled at him, his eyes narrowing as he pushed away Shino's hand, though he did look grudgingly apologetic. "Do you really have to go?"

"Hai…I have a duty, and a life awaiting me, Hisoka."

"Were we…" Hisoka swallowed hard, seeming uncertain, "Were we what was holding you back from that? Were we what chained you down?"

"Iie." Shino moved forward, clamped a hand down on Hisoka's shoulder, and pulled the boy into a one-armed embrace. "If anything, Hisoka, it enriched my years to do what I did for your mother."

Hisoka momentarily closed his eyes, leaning his head against his elder's shoulder before drawing back. "I was proud to call you father, Shino-otou."

"As I would have been, to call you son, Hisoka. Now, what will you do now?"

An indecipherable expression crossed over eerily familiar features, and for a startling moment, Hisoka had never before so resembled his Hyuuga forebears. His brow furrowed with the severity of his expression, and his eyes stared out into the distance, toward the great forests surrounding the Hyuuga estate. "I'm going to see my father."


	10. Hyuuga

"I knew you'd be here sooner or later."

Neji's words broke through the serene silence enveloping the small clearing, a quiet place in the forests surrounding the training grounds the elder genius had been coming to for years as an ideal location for mediation.

The timbre of his voice was deep and calm as the flowing of a river, just as steady, showing no signs of disconcertion or discomfort despite the tangible power of the rage radiating from the youngster at his back.

Hisoka scowled at the nonchalance of his tone, glaring at the back facing him. "Expecting me were you?"

"Of course," he paused for a moment, a thick, indecipherable emotion coloring his next words, "Your stepfather informed me you've been speaking with your mother."

Hisoka's visage darkened considerably more, but he decided that he could play at Neji's game, keeping his manner light and indifferent with some effort. "Hai. She gave me quite a few interesting revelations."

Neji hummed softly, thoughtfully nodding as he turned his head toward his son, his countenance unreadable. "And?"

Any attempts Hisoka could make at complacency collapsed, and his face grew stormy. He vanished from sight in transportation, Neji just barely having a second to react and tense in alert as the younger man appeared behind him, aiming a chakra-powered punch at his chest.

Neji blocked the hit, countering with his arm to Hisoka's abdomen, sending the boy to a harsh impact with the ground. Hisoka grunted with pain, shakily rising to his feet to once more charge Neji, fended off and once more hitting the dirt. This time, he did not attempt to rise, as Neji placed a foot against his chest, keeping him in place.

The older man frowned, his brow creasing with the severity of the action. "Your movements are sloppy when you let rage control them. You let your emotions cloud your mind too much and it makes you vulnerable, Hisoka. Now, can I let you up without you trying to kill me?"

Hisoka gave him an ugly look, struggling under his hindering weight. "Give me a reason why I shouldn't try, teme."

Neji sighed, his face darkening with disapproval. "Not only is that an insult to your grandparents, it's a worthless barb to yourself as well, since we share the same bloodline."

"What does it matter? I'm bastard anyway! You made me that way."

"I'm your father, Hisoka, whether or not you like it. But you must accept the fact in order for us to move on."

"I don't have to accept anything! I don't have to accept any of this, and I sure as hell don't have to accept you!"

"Is the idea of being my son that disgusting! Does it mean nothing that I'm proud of you, that I love you, that I would have done anything, defy the gods if I had to, to stay with you and your mother!"

Hisoka stilled, a majority of his anger ebbing as his face clouded with torn emotions. Once he spoke again, it was in a soft, subdued intonation. "Why weren't you there? Why-" he paused, swallowing hard against a sudden rush of emotion, his pride rivaling with his hurt, "Why…didn't you want me?"

Neji's face softened and he released the boy, holding out a hand to aid him to his feet. Hisoka tentatively accepted, following after the older man as he took a seat beneath the shade of a nearby tree. Neji sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. "I suppose I have a story to tell, ne? The beginning is always the best place to start, I guess."

Hisoka cocked an eyebrow, tilting his head in his father's direction. "I'd think so."

"When we were younger, your mother and I…we were close as children, but there were extenuating circumstances that tore us apart…that and my own foolishness…"

Hisoka snorted, leaning back against the trunk of the tree. "I've heard of that. You almost killed her in the chuunin exams."

Neji's eyes closed, but he nodded. "Yes, but…afterward, things changed between us, slowly but surely. However, during those years of animosity I directed toward her, your mother gave her heart away for the first time…"

"Hmm…to you?"

Neji chuckled lightly, his expression one of wistfulness. "Iie, not me. Believe it or not, it was Naruto that you could call her first love."

"I thought Naruto-jiisan has been devoted to Sakura-san since their youth? Isn't that the story they always tell?"

"Exactly, and that was exactly what brought Hinata her first broken heart. It was because of that pain that I did everything I could to be there for her, and we grew closer than ever. By then, she had become my heart…everything in my life."

"And she returned your affections?"

"With time. And our relationship escalated…I have never felt for anyone else, Hisoka, the same passion and love I felt for your mother. That is one thing that has never faded over all these years. I want you to believe that.

I was sixteen, she fifteen, when she ended up with child. I had just been appointed to the ANBU, and I was constantly away from the family compound on duty. It was a mission that had me out of Konoha for several months that prevented me from knowing about you at first. Hinata had her friends, but little else support against the clan, and when her pregnancy could no longer be hidden, our fate was sealed.

I came home in her fourth month, and found out that the council and Hiashi had discovered our affair. Hiashi, that bastard, appealed to the Hokage to appoint me the likeliest candidate for a long-standing mission to the Land of Water. There was nothing I could do to refute it."

Hisoka was silent for a long moment, and then he exhaled sharply, glancing blankly at the older man. "You were forced away?"

"Hai."

"What happened after that?"

"It was around nine, ten years later that Hiashi finally passed from this realm, and freed Hinata to fulfill her birthright. However…she was not yet twenty-five and Hiashi's will decreed that Hinata could not make any move without the permission of the council until then. The elders took full advantage of this…trying their hardest to shove your mother aside.

It was Hanabi who managed to send a message my way, saying I was needed at home. The council knew I was a threat and if it was their decision, they would have gladly kept me away. I returned, and saw you for the first time. Gods, Hisoka, you were everything I could have wanted or hoped for in a son, and I was so proud. Everything was still unstable, and your mother and I were unsure how to approach the matter of us as father and child, so I gave you the thing I was best at, my greatest skill."

"The training…" Hisoka said slowly.

Neji nodded. "Hai. Believe me, Hisoka, if I had known what would happen right after that, I would never have kept myself a stranger…I would have been careful about renewing my relationship with your mother…I would have done a thousand things differently…but I can't take them back."

"Why again? Why did you leave again?"

"The council. Their last act after we sabotaged their plans to displace Hinata was to talk to Tsunade, and request that I continue my post. So, once more, I left."

"Did you know about Akira?" Hisoka's face was unreadable, and his voice was no longer harsh or accusing, only thoughtful. Neji was unsure whether or not to take that as a good sign.

"Iie," he smiled wanly, "I've only known he was my son for about half an hour."

"I'm sorry things were hard for you. It must have been painful to watch Kaasan marry elsewhere."

Neji breathed in deeply, staring out into the distance, lost in thought and memories. "It was."

Hisoka glanced at him wryly. "Shall I pick up the story where you left off?"

"If you'd like."

"Kaasan found she was pregnant for the second time with you gone…and she couldn't risk Akira being born illegitimate like I was. So…she married. Shino-otou was the best candidate. She wed him on the premise that any children born of their union would be Hyuuga and have no rights to the bloodlines of the Aburame. Also, that Shino-otou would one day remarry and secure the line of succession by producing a pure-blooded heir for his clan. Now she has Akira to enforce her bloodline, and both she and Shino-otou have annulled their arrangement. Where does that leave any of us?"

"Hisoka?"

"Hai?"

"It leaves us wherever we choose, musuko. From here on out, our destiny is our making."

Right then, in that strange, defining moment, Hyuuga Hisoka did something he had not done since childhood, as he turned a tear-obscured gaze toward his father.

He cried.

"I think you may be right…Otousan."

Seeing the boy's tears, Hyuuga Neji then did the one thing he never had the privilege to do.

He embraced his son.

xx

She felt him there before she saw him, the sheer power of his presence announcing him before she could make out the shape of his silhouette in the dimly lit room. His body outlined in shadow was looming, strong and poignant in a thin black yukata and matching obi, blending in with the darkness.

"Neji."

His gaze trailed down her form, the intensity of it almost burning as he seemed to undress her with his eyes. She licked her lips, swallowing hard as he stalked toward her in slow, pacing steps. Just as his proximity came close enough for her to feel the heat radiating from his body, she placed a hand against his chest, stopping him in his path. "You've spoken with Hisoka?"

"Hai…he was angry, not that I blame him, but I think we have at least put aside that animosity."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"I spoke with Aburame this afternoon."

"Did you?"

"Yes..." he paused, his breath sharply exhaling, "Hinata…"

He came forward and swept her into his arms, their bodies seamlessly fitting together as he kissed her, his mouth a warm softness against hers. Her arms slid around his neck, clinging to him as they lost to the throes of long-denied ardor.

He trailed a path of hot, open-mouthed kisses along her jaw and throat, parting the folds of her kimono to expose creamy-pale skin to his seeking lips, taking his exploration to her neck and shoulder.

He pressed her back against the paneled wall, continuing his ministrations as her hands worked at the ties to his obi. "There hasn't been another, Hinata, no other to know my bed. It's only you…I'm yours, Hinata, body, heart, and soul. Are you still mine?"

She combed her fingers through his hair, guiding his lips back to hers to kiss him slowly, softly. "Always yours, Neji. Always and forever, yours." She drew back a moment, searching his eyes. "Do you still want the same things? Will you take your place at my side…Neji?"

"Hai, hai." He cupped her face in his hands, drawing her close. "In this life and the next, my lady, I am yours to have. I'm here."

xx

The frost accompanying the rising of the dawn was slowly becoming a staple of the autumn weather as the winter came close approaching, the sixth month anticipation that waited to transform his life rapidly coming to an end as the morning of the jounin exam closed in on him.

He stood that morning on a familiar balcony, overlooking the vast expanse of the estate, and he felt a pair of slender arms slip around his waist, a warm, soft body pressing against his back.

"Midori…"

A light smile touched her lips as she gently kissed his neck, leaning her head against the crook of his shoulder. "Are you ready?"

He grinned, turning in the circle of her arms, taking in the sight of her. Small of stature and slender of frame, yet radiating the same feminine strength and sensuality that attracted men like him to the kunoichi, Hyuuga eyes and light brown hair plaited back into a simple braid. She was gorgeous. And he loved her.

"Ready as I'll ever be," he said simply before he wrapped her in his arms, and kissed her sweetly, awaiting the full rising of the sun that would bring his world into new perspective.

xx

_Several Months Later…_

Neji cantered through the corridors of the Hyuuga manor, tiredly rubbing his shoulder, muscles strained and aching as a result of his recent return from a strenuous three-week mission. He would be happy to be home, with no more obligations to fulfill than his duties as Hinata's captain of the guard, and those of consort, husband, and father.

With the late afternoon quickly fading into the evening, the slender form of his son coming toward him, looking doggedly tired but pleased with himself, was a usual but welcome sight. Hisoka held himself proud, quietly confident as he returned from his day of duties, sporting the vest of his jounin status. He grinned as he spotted his father, nodding in greeting as he passed by the older man.

He exchanged cordial pleasantries with passersby. Knowing Akira would be back at any time from the academy; he could not help but look forward to the expected family dinner later that night.

He found Hinata lying in their bed, sleeping peacefully as sunlight pooled in through the windowpane, filling the room with a golden glow. He stretched out beside her, slipping his arms around her waist to place his hands against her extended stomach. He closed his eyes, concentrating to feel for the familiar feel of his children's building chakra. Twin girls, six months along.

His eyes fluttered open just in time to catch the sleepy smile that crossed her features, her soft whisper of hello, and as he bent down to kiss her, there was only one thought prevalent in his mind.

He was finally home.


	11. Epilogue: Hyuuga

He had not lived in the family compound in nearly five years, and as he found himself stalking through the familiar corridors, it was a strange, nostalgic peace that enveloped him every time the old floorboards creaked under his sandaled feet, or his nostrils filled with the musty scent of mothballs and pine radiating from the ancient rooms.

Hyuuga Hisoka made his way up flights of winding stairs, the destination in his mind a balcony on the third and final floor, of the family home, a place he remembered as having been a favored vantage point of his step-father.

He felt the cold the of the winter night wrap around him, enveloping him in its familiar tranquility, his goal for a breather more than accomplished as he felt a familiar serenity fall upon him, filling him to the core and enveloping all five senses.

He inhaled deeply, the earthen fragrance of the village dancing along the wind, the chilled air filling his lungs as he closed his eyes and gave over to the meditation exercises his father taught him so long ago.

Swiftly moving breezes fluttered the material of his kimono, white on black in tradition Hyuuga fashion, the mark of his house stitched into his arm; the mark of the village etched into the metal of the hitai-ate against his brow just as worthy of respect.

Just a few months away from his twenty-sixth birthday, Hisoka has served his village proudly in his jounin status for a full decade, the very anniversary of the day he passed the exams having occurred three months before this night he stood in such solemn contemplation. It was strange, to imagine how much was different in five, ten, even twenty years, and at the same time, how little had really changed.

It was almost ironic in a way, that as he settled his mind into the calming exercise ingrained into him during the training of his youth, it was the one who taught him those exercises that interrupted its progress.

"Musuko…"

Neji's voice broke through his reflections and Hisoka's eyes opened to glance at his father over his shoulder, lips curling with amusement as he identified the bundle in the older man's arms. A tuft of brown hair here, flower-print kimono there, Neji's burden consisted of softly snoring little girl.

"Take this, will you?" came the older man's greeting, "I have enough of my own. I don't need to worry about yours."

Gently so not to jostle the child out of her sleep, Neji transferred her into Hisoka's arms, grunting gruffly as Hisoka cradled the slim body of his daughter against him. He grinned up at his father, tightening his arms around the child nestling closer against his chest, "Getting hard to keep up with little ones in your old age, Chichi-ue?

"Gaki."

"Temper, temper, Neji-sama. What would Kaasan say?"

Neji arched a fine brow, "She'd say I was justified after such insolence from my own son."

"Aaa," Hisoka smirked, "I find that unlikely, old man."

"I'd refrain from the comments about my age if I were you. That little bundle you're holding has been a whirlwind all day. I'll leave you to your own devices if you're not a bit more respectable."

"You do have the experience, don't you? With the brood you and Kaasan have reared?"

Neji grimaced at the mention of him and Hinata's large family, "Your brothers and sisters were born headaches. I learned my lesson."

"And yet there are still five of us. At least you're done now," Hisoka paled at a sudden thought, "You're not thinking of more, are you?"

"Kami-sama, no. That's one thing I'm too old for," and then he shrugged, motioning to his son to follow after as he began stalking back down the hall, "Speaking of brats, your mother sent me to get you. Your wife's been calling for you."

"Is everything alright?"

"Apart from Midori's banshee screaming? Your child's crowning, musuko. You're about to be a father all over again."

Hisoka panicked, looking helplessly from his sleeping daughter to his father again, casting anxious looks down the corridor. Neji smirked, rolling his eyes as he held out his arms from his granddaughter, "Go on, Hisoka. Go see your child."

With a grateful smile, Hisoka took off running, intent on the birthing room that would greet his second-born into the world.

xx

"How in heavens' name did we ever get here?"

Hinata smiled at the sound of her husband's voice coming up from behind her, followed soon by the warmth of his strong arms slipping around her waist, his chest pressing against her back as he held her close.

"It's a good question, beloved. Honestly, I have no idea."

Neji chuckled softly, nuzzling into her neck as they watched the clan moving about around them, the bustle of activity and excitement originating in that day's celebration- the ceremony officially recognizing the coming of age belonging to the clan's heir.

The more socially accepted of their elder sons, Akira had been officially declared Hinata's heir that afternoon, his sixteenth birthday. Neji's eyes sought out his second son, scanning through the crowds until they came to rest on the young man, drawn up tall and proud in his youthful vitality.

Akira was a charismatic boy, skilled as a shinobi and coolly confident in his abilities. At times, the folly of his youth tended to show, a faint echo of arrogance that in former years often left him feeling flawed next to his brother.

Hisoka was beyond talented, the only genius produced of Neji and Hinata's union and it sparked jealously, something that strained the fraternal relationship until the day Hisoka denied Hinata's wish to name him her heir. The position, he said, went rightfully to Akira alone. The rift had mended, and Akira began to mature, a good sign given the promise of new responsibility bestowed upon him this day.

Hisoka may have been Neji's mirror image, but Akira was the bridge connecting their father with his beloved Hinata. He was the perfect counterbalance between them both, a flawlessly attractive boy more slender and lithe in figure than either father or brother. The eyes were Hinata's, the chocolate brown hair knotted up into a high ponytail his own, but the feline grace and charismatic aura exuding from the boy was Akira himself. He wore the pure white of his ceremonial robes with ease, as if born to fit into the role given to him.

As if feeling the weight of his eyes in the direction of the heir, Neji's gaze was suddenly caught by that of his sister-in-law, the smile flashed at him nothing short of predatory. Hanabi was former ANBU and assassin, unspoken protector to her sister's thriving young family. Deadly as she was beautiful, she remained unmarried, though underground gossip mills had circulated for years rumors of a long-term affair with the leader of Clan Inuzuka.

Neji discretely brushed off such talk- despite his personal dislike for the brash clan-head- not just from familial respect but his cousin's renowned skill with a kunai.

Standing on either side of their aunt were the apples of Neji's eye, nine-year-old Ai and Ayame. Identical twins, both girls were Hinata in miniature, delicate and precocious in ways their father could not help but adore- though their attachment to Hanabi did cause him some discomfort. Images of his girls destined for the full harshness of shinobi living left him ill-at-ease.

Akira may have been his honor, his youngest his strength, but Ai and Ayame were his joy. Precious to him as the very offspring symbolizing his return to Hinata and his family, their birth had been a blessing and rejuvenation.

He smiled to himself, pressing a kiss to the nape of Hinata's neck, enjoying the small shudder he received in return. The Houses may not have existed any longer, but the clan nobility had been dying out for more generations that any knew; the elders had looked to Neji and Hinata to continue the line, and the lovers had delivered in fine fashion.

Like their family, the Hyuuga thrived- strong, golden and proud.

Passing them was Hisoka and his family, the young jounin flashing a beaming smile for his parents as he guided his wife, radiant in motherhood, gently through the crowd. Newborn Hikaru- a son that was Hisoka's pride- lay nestled in her arms, little Shiori, nearly still a babe at a shy three, clinging to the hem of her sire's kimono, grinning brilliantly for her grandparents as the group walked by.

Tottering after his big brother, given a gentle push of encouragement toward his own parents, young Daisuke approached the clan leaders with a boyish smile of glee. Four years and three months, an amazingly strong and virile youth despite the harsh circumstances surrounding his birth. The delivery had been difficult on Hinata, nearly killing both mother and child. The labor had led to their decision to not try for more children, their inclining age none withstanding.

Forty-five years. Far exceeding the average expected shinobi lifespan. His lips curled into a wry smile- it wasn't the years that were fulfilling; it was what was accomplished during the time.

Lifting Daisuke onto the breadth of his shoulders, the very picture of the Hyuuga strength as he stood before his clan, he raised his chin, calling for attention as he let out a boisterous, echoing call, "HYUUGA!"

The crowds mimicked his call, "HYUUGA! HYUUGA!"

His gaze met that of his musuko, his firstborn. Hisoka's eyes smiled as they locked with his, his rich baritone reverberating the loudest among the crowd as he chanted along with the others his family name.

Akira- his honor. Daisuke- his strength. Ai, Ayame- his joy. Hinata- his heart.

But Hisoka…Hisoka was his pride. Once a secret, once his greatest regret- this boy turned man was the very embodiment of everything he and his beloved had fought for so long.

"HYUUGA!"

xx

His lips met hers and the kiss was sweet, soft as a whisper and gentle as the brush of a spring breeze. His hands slowly parted the folds of her yukata, baring delightfully bare skin to his eyes, calloused hands caressing as reverently as if kneeling before a temple to the goddesses themselves.

He pressed a kiss to her shoulder, Hinata's hands tangling in his long hair to hold him closer, nimble fingers stroking gently against his scalp, lips nibbling at his ear, "Neji…"

Neji wrapped his arm around her hips, hauling her to him and he kissed her once more, ardent in his passion, "I've waited so long, Hinata. I've waited so long to come home."

She slipped her arms around his neck, reaching to free him of his hakama, "The journey's over, beloved. Come home to me now."

Lowering her to the bed, sinking into the warmth of her, Neji did just that. And in the slow throes of making love to her, his surrender of his restless soul so sublimely complete, he felt the spark of a new ki awakening, kindling to life.

Hinata languorously stroked his back, sweat-soaked skin sleek beneath her fingertips, catching sight of his disconcerted expression, "What is it, beloved?"

He pressed a kiss to her hand, "Focus for a moment."

Doing just that, Hinata's eyes snapped open a split second later, "Kami-sama, tell me we didn't…"

"Not us, my love." He kissed her palm once more, "It seems Hisoka inherited more from me than my face."

"Oh, my."

"My sentiments exactly."

She sighed, nestling back against him, "A boy or a girl this time, what do you suppose?"

"We could wager on it later, but for now I intend to sleep before my mind disturbs me more. I abhor the thought of further contemplating the mechanics of just how we were gifted with said grandchild."

Her nose wrinkling with the thought, she nodded her agreement, "Sleep then, beloved," she smoothed his hair back against his forehead, brushing a kiss against his cheek, "You're home."

_An era ended, and another began. A beginning and an ending merging, and he supposed one was neither itself nor the other, joined together in a common thread, much like his people._

_Full-circle, Hinata and Neji came together once more- home at last._


End file.
